


Amor Ordinem Nescit

by Noctem31



Series: Eternal Darkness [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bonds, Denial, F/M, First War with Voldemort, International Dark Council, Lord Slytherin, Parent Bellatrix, Parent Voldemort, Possessive Voldemort, Sane Bellatrix Black Lestrange, Sane Voldemort, Slytherin, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-19
Updated: 2017-11-04
Packaged: 2018-12-04 02:57:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 63,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11546040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Noctem31/pseuds/Noctem31
Summary: Voldemort felt a pull towards Bellatrix Black that he had never before experienced with another human. He had always chosen to be alone, and independent in all things. He was The Dark Lord, and he had a war to lead, he couldn't afford any distractions. He didn't need anyone, or at least that what was what he told himself.-PREQUEL TO CARPE OMNIA





	1. Overwhelming

**Author's Note:**

> This is the prequel to my other written work, Carpe Omnia. It is the story behind Voldemort and Bellatrix Black's relationship, which sets everything up for the next story. Both Bellatrix and Voldemort are sane in this story. They still have sadistic and murderous tendencies, but they are not delusional. 
> 
> Keep in mind, they will act differently around each other than how they act around other people. 
> 
> I do not own anything related to Harry Potter, that credit goes to JKR.

**December 19th 1969, Malfoy Manor**

 

Lord Voldemort looked across the Ballroom of Malfoy Manor, sensing someone's eyes on him. Standing there near the wall looking at him was Bellatrix Black, who he had just recently marked as one of his death eaters. She was deeply devoted to his cause, he knew. He saw it all in her mind. She wanted to fight for him, to kill for him, in order to further his movement.

He also saw that she found him attractive.

Voldemort had often used his looks to gain loyalty in the past, or to further his goals. Flirting with a witch here or there, but never touching. Women were all terrible distractions in his experience, so he never allowed himself to take one. He had seen the way men would turn into fools because of a beautiful woman. So his whole life he had avoided such things. He was above the need for companionship.

All he needed was power. Power was all that mattered. He was a Dark Lord, the leader of a war effort. When he was a boy named Tom Riddle attending Hogwarts, he had discovered Dark magic in the restricted section of the library. He was immediately captivated by it. He remembered vividly the first time he had practiced Dark Magic in the forbidden forest near the castle. It had been the most excellent feeling in the whole world, like a drug running through his veins. It made his magic sing gleefully.

After his first encounter with Dark Magic, he threw himself into the subject. Learning and practicing everything the could get his hands on. That was also how he learned about the many laws and restrictions against Dark creatures, and the practice of Dark Magic. It had disgusted him, and he swore to do everything he could to change it. His cause had been the sole focus of his attentions since he was in Hogwarts all those years ago. Once he had turned 17, he had taken up the Slytherin Lordship, and used some of the money to travel the world. Searching for new and rare types of Dark Magic. He had spent over 19 years traveling, learning all of the magic he could. By the time he had returned to Britain, he was ready to take up the title of The Dark Lord. Since then he had been working constantly to gather followers for his cause. He had never been able to afford distractions. There was always so much work to be done.

But even now, with those thoughts running through his mind, he couldn’t help but appreciate the way Bellatrix Black’s elegant emerald lace gown hugged her curves. The way her curly hair was styled neatly into a chignon at the nape of her neck. Or the way her dark eyes glittered when she looked at him.

Voldemort looked away quickly, scolding himself for getting distracted by such things. Besides… she was engaged to be married to Rodolphus Lestrange within the next two years he knew. Although he was rather sure Rodolphus’ interests were thoroughly with someone else. He had seen it in his mind several weeks ago, the way he thought about a certain Severus Snape. However, both the Lestrange and Black families were highly respectable pureblood families. A marriage between two of their members was advantageous for continuing pure blood lines. Which was exactly why their parents had arranged the marriage just before Rodolphus and Bellatrix had graduated from Hogwarts last term.

Voldemort glanced around the tastefully decorated Ballroom. Abraxas Malfoy had thrown their annual Yule Ball, and invited only members of The Dark Order. He hated social gatherings, almost as a general rule, but it was important for him to speak with his followers. It cemented their loyalty if they believed their lord cared about their lives. He didn’t. Not really. There were a select few of whom he could tolerate, but overall, he was quite the misanthropist. He prefered his time spent in solitude. Hours spent reading alone in front of the fire in his library, long walks through the ancient forests around Slytherin Castle, playing the piano, or time spent sharpening his dueling skills. He prefered all of those things to gatherings such as this one.

He was interrupted from his internal musings by Abraxas Malfoy, who had stepped up to him and bowed low. The man seemed as if he had consumed one too many glasses of whiskey as he said,

“My Lord! I just wished to inform you that we have received a donation of 300,000 galleons for The Dark Order’s accounts.”

Voldemort raised an eyebrow as he said,

“Now Abraxas, this is hardly party talk is it? Come to my office tomorrow morning at eight to discuss this topic in more depth. Now you best go ask your wife to dance, she is looking awfully lonely over there.”

Voldemort motioned to where Abraxas’ wife was standing near the drinks table, and Abraxas laughed.

“Right you are Master. Good evening.”

He bowed once again, and Lord Voldemort just nodded once in return.

Once Abraxas had gone, he glanced out to the dance floor, and saw Bellatrix in the arms of Rodolphus, waltzing elegantly. Voldemort couldn’t help but stare. She was undeniably beautiful when she was dancing. He watched her move gracefully for a few moments before forcing himself to look away. However, he did continue to glance over to her occasionally as the night went on.

He forced himself to speak with more of his followers for the next hour, making sure that they knew their work was appreciated. And eventually, he found himself standing only several feet away from her as he discussed politics with Cygnus Black. She was leaning against the wall, looking as if she would rather be anywhere else but here, seemingly stuck in a conversation with her younger cousin Narcissa.

Voldemort couldn’t help but be slightly amused by the way Bellatrix would roll her eyes whenever her sister wasn’t looking. It seemed like he wasn’t the only misanthropist in the room.

Once Cygnus had excused himself from Voldemort's presence, Voldemort found himself looking at her again. She must have sensed his gaze, and turned towards him. He decided then that he was going to dance with her. Just one dance, to cement her loyalty is what he told himself.

 

* * *

 

Bellatrix turned when she felt someone's gaze on her. After she turned, she realized it was none other than the Dark Lord himself. Her breath hitched, because he was devastatingly handsome in his silver and black dress robes, with his pale skin, cold crimson eyes, dark wavy hair, and sculpted jaw. He looked to be about 35 years old, but she was fairly sure he was older than that. She had tried to prevent her attraction to him, since she was engaged to another, but she realized the attraction couldn’t be helped, not with him.

She was more than a little surprised then when he walked gracefully towards her and held out his hand,

“Miss Black, dance with me.”

She just nodded and took his hand as she said,

“Yes My Lord, it would be an honor.”

He lead her onto the dance floor and wrapped his arms around her as he pulled her into an elegant dancing stance. He laced his fingers with hers, which felt very good, and stared down at her with his cold eyes as they began to move to the music. She stared back, just now noticing how much taller he was than her. She barely reached his shoulder, and she found she rather liked that.

"You look as if you would rather be anywhere but here Miss Black, is that true?"

She blushed a little, and replied truthfully,

"Yes My Lord. I have never been fond of socializing."

He smirked then,

"Neither have I."

Bellatrix was nervous, and didn't know what to say to that so she stayed silent. A few moments later he asked,

“You would kill for me, if I asked you to, wouldn’t you? I sense a certain darkness within you Miss Black.”

Bellatrix just nodded and replied,

“Yes My Lord, I would. I would kill a thousand enemies for you.”

His eyes flashed then, with something she didn’t recognize. He looked away from her then, glancing around the Ballroom.

Being in his arms like this was overwhelming. When he spoke, it was deep, smooth, and captivating. He smelled delicious, it was distinctly masculine, like pine trees, and leather. He was incredibly handsome in his dark robes, and he was also very powerful. She could feel the Dark Magic radiating off of him. It felt dangerous and calm all at once, and where his hand touched hers, she could feel it flowing just under his skin. His magic seemed to reach out to her, and hers reached out to his in response. It was very strange, she had never felt anything like it. All of her senses were being assaulted standing this close to him, and it was difficult to keep her feet moving gracefully.

They finished the rest of the dance in silence. Once the music had stopped, people clapped politely, but Lord Voldemort just stared at her. He took her hand, and brushed his lips across her knuckles, and said,

“Thank you for the dance Miss Black, good evening.”

She was a little breathless as she responded,

“Thank you My Lord, good evening.”

With that he turned away from her and walked out of the Ballroom.

 

* * *

 

**December 19th 1969, Slytherin Castle**

 

Voldemort was sitting in his leather wingback chair in his private office of Slytherin castle, staring into the flames within the fireplace. He downed the rest of the fire whiskey that was in his glass, as he realized what a mistake he had made with Bellatrix Black.

He never should have danced with her.

The feel of her in his arms, her dark eyes looking up at him, the smell of her, like cold mountain air, jasmine, and new books. The instant his hand touched hers, their magic seemed to want to link with one another. Her magic calmed his, and he had a content feeling running through his veins even now, hours afterwards.

He looked into her mind and saw that she prefered to read a good book to socializing, and liked to drink coffee instead of tea. He saw she was intelligent, and had top marks in school. He saw that she had a mile long sadistic streak, and loved to extract revenge on anyone who had wronged her. They were similar in more ways than one.

It was all overwhelming, and it only got worse once he spoke to her. She told him she would slay a thousand enemies for him, and he knew it was true. Hearing her say those words had been very alluring. He had to stop himself from saying anything else at that point, so that he wouldn’t say or do something he would regret.

He would need to keep his distance from her. She was a dangerous distraction that he couldn’t afford. He had a war to win, and that was all that mattered.

 

* * *

 

**January 20th, 1970, Malfoy Manor Library**

 

Lord Voldemort was sitting in his favorite wingback chair, hidden in the back corner of the Malfoy family library. He would come here to read occasionally in between meetings with his followers here at the manor.

He was currently reading a book on blood rituals, when he heard someone approaching him. He looked up to see Bellatrix Black staring down at the book in her hands, walking closer to him. She was wearing a black blouse, with black leggings, and flat heeled black boots. Her hair was braided over her shoulder, and her makeup was lightly done. She looked both intimidating and beautiful.

When she was about five feet away from him, she looked up and yelped in shock,

“I-I’m sorry My Lord. I wasn’t expecting you. I-I usually sit back here and read when Narcissa comes to visit Lucius. Usually no one comes this far back in the library, I like the quiet. I’m sorry.”

He smirked at her and replied,

“Well Miss Black, it is a small wonder that I haven’t run into you before back here then. I come here to read in between meetings.”

She looked nervous as she said,

“Oh really? Well I am sorry to disturb you My Lord, I’ll go read somewhere else.”

Voldemort probably should have let her go, he knew he should have let her go, but instead he insisted,

“No Miss Black, stay and have a seat. I do not mind.”

Bellatrix’s eyes widened slightly, and she moved to sit down in the chair across from him. He crossed his ankle over his knee and went back to his book, trying to focus on the words, and not the woman sitting across from him.

He had thought about her many times over the past month. About the way she looked in her lace dress, about the smell of mountain air, jasmine and books, and her devotion to his cause. He also thought about how it felt to touch her, the way her magic integrated with his. He wanted to touch her again, and talk with her. It was all very distracting. He had thought about attempting to see her several times, but decided against it. He knew he was attracted to her, but he refused to allow it to turn into anything more. She was his follower, his servant, a means to achieve his goals. Nothing more. She could never be anything more.

Across from him, she quietly opened her book and began to read. After several minutes he found himself looking at her, watching as her eyebrows furrowed together, in a look of concentration. She looked very pretty like that he thought, and very much against his will he found himself asking,

“What are you reading?”

She looked up from her book obviously surprised by his question, and replied,

“Oh… Just a book on Dark magic and dueling My Lord.”

“Hmmm… Interested in being a soldier are you?”

She looked a little breathless just then as she stated,

“Yes My Lord, I want that more than anything.”

The way she said that sounded strangely enticing, and he found himself thinking she would look magnificent fighting for him. He looked at her thoughtfully for a moment, and tipped his head,

“I need skilled fighters in my ranks Miss Black. I do not think you are quite skilled enough just yet, but perhaps you could be with the proper instruction. Meet me in the dueling chambers here at Malfoy Manor, this next week Tuesday at 7pm. I will give you dueling lessons.”

He reassured himself he was only doing this to gain another skilled soldier for battle, and not to spend time with her.

Her jaw dropped in surprise then,

“Thank you My Lord.”

He just nodded once, and cast a _Tempus._ He stood from his chair and said,

“I have a meeting to attend, good day Bellatrix.”

She stood from her chair when he did, and replied,

“Good day My Lord, thank you again.”

Once he started walking walking he berated himself. He shouldn’t have called her by her first name, Miss Black was more differential. But he thought back to how beautiful she was and asked himself if it would be the worst thing in the world to get to know her. He had a war to lead yes, but she was loyal to his cause completely. Besides… he found it rather distracting to ignore her.

 

 

* * *

 

**January 27th 1970, Malfoy Manor Dueling Chambers**

 

Bellatrix had been very embarrassed to stumble upon Lord Voldemort in the Malfoy’s library, but thankfully, he has just seemed amused instead of angry. Now she was waiting in the Dueling Chambers of the manor, waiting for him to arrive and begin her dueling lessons.

She was both excited, and extremely nervous.

She knew that her Lord was one of the best, if not THE best dueler in the world. He never took on students however, which was why she was so nervous. She didn’t want to disappoint him.

Lord Voldemort walked gracefully into the room then, wearing perfectly tailored, black and crimson dueling robes. He looked extremely handsome and intimidating just now, which made her even more nervous than before.

He observed her quietly for a few moments. Bellatrix was wearing her own black dueling dueling robes and flat heeled boots which allowed for easy movement. She just hoped that she looked okay.

“You look fine, now let's begin shall we?”

Bellatrix’s cheeks flushed pink when she realized he had been inside of her head, but she just nodded and replied,

“Yes My Lord.’’

He moved to stand opposite of her, and stood in a dueling stance,

“Before I can truly teach you anything, I need to know where your skill level is, so we are going to duel. I won't go too hard on you this time, just try your best to win. Make sure you put your full effort into this duel so I can accurately judge your skills. Ready?”

Her eyes widened when he said they were going to duel, but she quickly shook of her surprise, and stood in an athletic dueling position.

Voldemort just stared at her with his piercing red eyes, before shooting off a basic stunning spell non verbally. Bellatrix whirled to the right, dodging the spell before sending a blasting curse and body binding curse in his direction. Voldemort dodged the blasting curse, and blocked the body bind curse with a shield charm. He looked at her and shot back,

_“Reducto. Flipendo.”_

Bellatrix used a _Protego duo_ to block the _Reducto_ curse. His _Reducto_ was powerful enough to break her shield, so she had to dodge the knockback jinx that came after it. She countered his attack immediately after dodging the knockback jinx,

_“Aqua Eructo. Avis. Locomotor Mortis. Stupify.”_

She tried to distract him with the jet of water, and bird conjuring charm so she could lock his legs together, and hit him with a stupify, but he was much too fast for her. He whirled to the right, with almost unnatural grace, avoiding the jet of water, before lighting all the birds on fire with an _Incendio,_ and blocking the leg locking and stupefying spells with a non verbal shield.

He aimed his wand at Bellatrix and murmured off a series of spells in quick succession,

_“Confringo. Expulso. Arresto Momentum. Expelliarmus.”_

Bellatrix had to put up a rather strong shield for the first two spells, but the _Expulso_ destroyed her shield, leaving her defenceless for the _Arresto Momentum_ , which slowed her movements enough that she wasn’t able to dodge the _Expelliarmus_ in time.

Her wand flew across the room into Voldemort’s left hand.

He smirked at her and said,

“That wasn’t bad. Your last series of chain of spells probably would have worked on many people quite honestly.”

She gave him a small smile,

“Thank you My Lord.”

He walked towards her then and held out her wand, which she took, and stared up at him.

“I think with enough practice you will make an excellent soldier in time Bella.”

She hid her shock then at his use of her nickname, and asked,

“What can I do to improve My Lord?”

He looked into her eyes and stated,

“We need to work on your speed. You should be shooting off spells in quicker succession. We also need to work on making your shield charms stronger. I broke through your shield twice with only moderate power behind my spells. You are rather powerful compared to most people so it shouldn’t be too much of a problem. The last thing we will work on for right now is non verbal spell casting. Being able to cast spells non verbally can be a large advantage during a duel. If your opponent doesn’t know what spell you used, it will be harder for them to block. You should be practicing non verbal spell casting on your own time from here on out. That way we can work on the other aspects of your dueling.”

Bellatrix nodded,

“Yes My Lord.”

He turned away from her then and walked back to his place on the other side of the room,

“Good. Let’s spend a little time working on your shield charm. I want you to cast the strongest shield charm you can and hold it for as long as possible.”

She moved to stand in her dueling position once again, and cast the strongest shield charm she could. He aimed his wand at her and said,

“ _Reducto. Confringo. Reducto.”_

After the third spell her shield collapsed.

“Again Bellatrix, push more power into it.”

She nodded, and recast her shield,

“ _Confringo. Reducto. Flipendo. Expulso. Reducto.”_

Each spell hit her shield hard, but after the last spell, it was still intact. One more spell probably would have broken it, but at least it held longer this time.

“One more time.”

Bellatrix was getting tired, but she pushed all of her power into one last shield.

_“Flipendo. Reducto. Confringo. Expulso. Confringo. Reducto. Expulso.”_

The shield held for all of the spells he threw at her, but she was exhausted now. She dropped the shield breathing heavily. Voldemort gave her a look of approval, and praised as he walked over to her,

“That was much better Bella. Over time you will be able to hold it and not feel the exhaustion you feel right now. We will stop for tonight, I don’t want to exhaust you too much.”

He then placed his left hand on her shoulder and gave her a potion with the other.

“Invigoration Draught. Take it, you will feel better.”

She thanked him and downed the potion all at once. She couldn’t help but wonder why he was being nice to her. Normally he was cold, and sharp with everyone. When he was with her, he was still cold, but not nearly as cold as normal. Her internal musings were interrupted when he pulled his hand from her shoulder, turned away from her and said,

“I don’t know why honestly. You are different for some reason. I am not sure why.”

Bellatrix’s eyes widened when she realized he was in her head again. Before she could even stop herself she asked in a rather brazen manner,

“Is there any way to keep you from seeing inside my mind?”

He turned back to look into her eyes. Then she paused and realized she had spoken rather rudely to her Lord,

“I am sorry My Lord… I didn’t mean to say it like that.”

He just chuckled, and said,

“You amuse me Bella. Yes there is a way… But I don’t think I am going to tell you yet. I rather like being able to see what goes on in that mind of yours.”

She blushed deeply, realizing he probably knew that she found him very attractive. His eyes were dancing with amusement, and he chuckled again,

“I believe that concludes our lesson for tonight Bella. Meet me here again at 7pm on Thursday for more lessons. Goodnight.”

She bowed to him and said honestly,

“Thank you again My Lord, Goodnight.”

She watched him then, as he turned and swept from the Dueling Chambers. Still embarrassed that he could see her thoughts.

 

* * *

 

**February 5th 1970, Slytherin Castle Forest**

 

It was dawn, and Voldemort was walking through the forest surrounding Slytherin Castle. The air was crisp, and icy in his lungs, and the only sound in the forest was the crunch of his boots in the snow. He stopped walking then, and sat down on a rock next to the small, slow moving river, savoring the feeling of the cold.

He prefered the calm, and solitary feel of winter to any other season. He never felt more relaxed than when he was walking through this forest, observing the sunlight reflecting off of the snow that had stuck to the pine trees. Or watching the steam rise out of the river on a particularly cold morning. This place would always be his paradise.

Right now however he was slightly distracted. He felt a pull towards Bellatrix Black, and he didn’t understand why. Even just standing in the same room with her during their past few dueling lessons made his magic hum with delight. He knew she felt it too, he saw it in her mind that she had noticed it while they danced at the ball. He enjoyed being in her presence, even if they didn’t speak often. He found her thoughts amusing as well, which is why he didn’t want to teach her Occlumency yet.

The whole situation was confusing for him. He had never before felt any desire to be near another human, but he felt it with her. His magic seemed to be trying to tell him to be near her, while his mind was divided between telling him to stay as far away as possible, or get to know her. He wondered which part of him would win out in the end.

Voldemort had a feeling he already knew. That part of his mind telling him to stay away was growing smaller with every second he spent with her. Voldemort tried to reassured himself that she wouldn’t hinder his goals, since she, to, was devoted to his cause. Her loyalty to him knew no bounds. Voldemort knew that if he were to ask her to end her life because she was a distraction to him, she would do it without hesitation. But he was unpleasantly nervous in a way he could never remember being. Nervous about becoming close to another person. He had always been a lone wolf, independent in all things, with no attachments. Other people lead to disappointment in his mind. The only person he had ever counted on was himself.

Voldemort just hoped that she wouldn’t disappoint him.


	2. Italy

**March 17th 1970**

 

_ “Everte Statum... Bombarda. Reducto... Confringo. Expulso.” _

“Come on Bella, you can be faster than this.”

Voldemort watched as her face hardened, and she cast the spells in rapid succession at the target dummies. He smiled slightly then, thinking about how much she had improved since he first started teaching her over a month ago. This was their 15th session, and Bellatrix had turned out to be an excellent student. It never took her more than two times to cast a new spell correctly, her speed had improved greatly, and she had a large repertoire of nonverbal spells that she could use during dueling. She was now able to last much longer against him during their practice duels. 

Overall he was proud of her improvements. 

He frowned a little then, realizing this was his first time ever being proud of someone else's achievements. Bella seemed to notice his frown and asked cautiously,

“My Lord… is everything alright?”

Her question snapped Voldemort out of his internal musings, and he replied,

“Yes everything is fine. Go again.”

She just nodded and turned back towards the target dummy once more. He watched her, feeling more attracted to her than ever before. Their time spent together, dueling, and talking during lessons, or random meetings in the library had strengthened the bond between them. He felt an even stronger pull towards her now than before. Voldemort knew that she felt it too, but neither of them said anything about it. If Voldemort was honest with himself, he was slightly nervous to learn the cause behind the pull.  

What he did know, was that he wanted to be near her. He wanted to look at her, touch her, and talk to her. He wanted to breathe in her calming aroma, and feel her magic link with his. 

He wanted to kiss her. 

More than once these last few sessions, he had to stop himself from reaching out and stroking her cheek. He wanted so badly to rub his thumb gently under her eye, and thread his fingers into her hair. But he pulled back every time and scolded himself. He didn’t need her, he reminded himself. He didn’t need to touch anyone, he was a bloody Dark Lord. He wasn’t gentle, he had killed people for sport many times just because he was bored. He was meant to be alone.

But then he thought about how similar she was to him. They were both misanthropists with cold personalities, who had their own sadistic streaks. They both prefered winter over any other season, and shared a rather large obsession with reading. They both prefered classical music over any other genre of music, and would choose coffee over tea. And most importantly, they both shared the need to change wizarding Britain. 

Voldemort decided then he was going to take a chance. 

“Bellatrix.”

She turned to face him the, and looked up at him with her beautiful dark eyes. He paused for a moment, wondering if this was a wise decision. But then he decided ignoring her was far more distracting than giving in to his desire to see her. He gave her a meaningful look as he said,

“I would like you to go to dinner with me tomorrow night.”

He heard her breath hitch, and she paused for a moment before she nodded,

“I would love to go to dinner with you My Lord.”

He sighed a little then, abruptly nervous, which he thought was utterly ridiculous given who he was, 

“Meet me here in the library tomorrow night at seven, I have a place in mind. We will take a portkey. Make sure you dress accordingly.”

Her cheeks turned pink then, and she looked as nervous as he felt, as she gave him a small smile,

“Yes My Lord. I will make sure I am dressed appropriately enough to be seen with The Dark Lord himself.”

His face warmed faintly, and he took a step towards her. He then cupped her jaw in his right hand, and stroked under her eye gently. She leaned into his touch, and he had to force himself to breathe. Their magic was dancing around them blissfully, as if they were meant to touch in such a way.

It was captivating. 

He looked her straight in the eye as he forced his voice to stay steady as he admitted,

“I am rather looking forward to seeing you dressed in a gown Bella. I am sure you will look divine.”

Her breath hitched again, and she declared honestly,

“I am quite sure I won't be able compare to you in a tuxedo My Lord.”

His jaw dropped slightly at the bold comment, and he swallowed hard,

“Nonsense Bella. I believe I might be chasing off other men all night.”

He forced himself to remove his hand from her jaw then, and she whimpered quietly at the loss of contact. He took a deep steadying breath and declared quietly,

“I believe that our lesson is finished for the evening. I shall see you tomorrow. Goodnight.”

She nodded and said in a breathless voice,

“Goodnight My Lord. I look forward to tomorrow.”

Voldemort nodded once curtly and glided from the room. He was thankful no one else was able to see what Bellatrix Black could do to him.

 

* * *

 

 

**March 18th 1970, Malfoy Manor Library**

 

Bellatrix noticed he was standing by the fireplace looking into the flames when she walked into the library. He was dressed handsomely in a black tuxedo, and she couldn’t help but stare a little.  She felt drawn to him now more than ever. 

He turned to face her then, and she saw his jaw drop a bit, and she glanced down self consciously. She had chosen to wear a strapless dark blue, almost black column gown, layered with lace. The gown hugged her curves carefully, and her make up accentuated her features perfectly. Still, she was worried it wasn’t enough, so she asked,

“Is this acceptable, My Lord?”

He walked towards her slowly then, and nodded,

“Yes Bella, it is perfectly acceptable. You look beautiful.”

Her eyes burned hearing those words, and she replied truthfully,

“You look exceedingly handsome My Lord.”

He took a step closer to her and she watched his throat bob. He took her jaw in his hand again, and she couldn't help but sigh contently into his touch. He just stared down at her with his cold eyes for a moment before saying,

Let’s go.”

He held out his arm to her, which she took gently, and watched him pull a galleon out of his pocket. She gave him a curious look, so he said simply,

“Portkey.”

She just nodded, and held a little tighter onto his arm. He gave her one last look before holding the coin tightly and saying,

“Hassler.”

Bellatrix felt the familiar pull of the portkey, and not long after, they were standing in a dark corner outside of an unfamiliar hotel. She looked around curiously, wondering where they were. Voldemort must have sensed her question because he said,

“We are in Rome, Italy. I am taking you to the The Roof. One of the finer muggle restaurants I have visited. I cannot risk being seen in the magical world right now, which is why we are eating in a muggle restaurant. Come.”

Voldemort lowered his arm and laced his fingers through hers. The contact caused her magic to calm immensely, as they walked into the high class muggle hotel called Hotel Hassler Roma. This all felt surreal to Bellatrix. She had dreamed about situations such as this one, where she would spend time with her Master outside of The Dark Order. But she had never considered the possibility of it actually happening. Now he was leading her through a fine hotel with his fingers wrapped around hers. She couldn’t help but wonder why she was worthy of any attention from him. 

Voldemort stopped when he reached the hotel lift, and hit a button. Several moments later the lift doors opened, and he pulled her inside. Once the doors had closed, he told the operator they were going to the sixth floor of the hotel. To which the operator just nodded and hit the corresponding button. 

Within moments they were exiting the lift, and walking towards the entrance to the restaurant. As they neared, they were greeted by an older muggle man with gray hair and a neatly trimmed beard. 

“Buonasera signore, signora.”

Voldemort nodded,

“Buonasera. Ho una prenotazione per Slytherin.”

The man gestured towards the restaurant and said,

“Seguimi, per favore.”

Voldemort tightened his grip on her hand a little as they followed the man into the restaurant. Once they were inside, Bellatrix couldn't help but gasp. It was beautiful. The restaurant was decorated elegantly, with antique wood, and marble floors. Classical music was playing quietly in the background, and the large windows gave the restaurant a panoramic view of Rome. 

The muggle man lead them to a table near the large windows. Voldemort grabbed the back of one of the chairs, and pulled it out for her. She sat down, murmuring her thanks, and he sat across from her. The muggle man poured them both glasses of red wine and once he had gone, Voldemort cast a wandless privacy charm so they could talk without being overheard. Voldemort told her then,

“I have per-ordered a bottle of Barolo wine, and a three course meal for us tonight.”

Bellatrix’s eyes widened in surprise,

“Thank you My Lord.”

She sipped from her delicious glass of wine then, and looked out the window, taking in the beautifully ancient city before her. She had traveled a few placed during her life, but she had never been to Italy. 

When Bellatrix turned back to face Voldemort, she realized he was watching her. She thought she saw a hungry look in his eye, but it was gone as quickly as it came, so she decided she had imagined it. 

Bellatrix watched as he sipped from his own wine, and asked in an amused voice,

“You used Slytherin for the reservation name?”

He smirked then and replied in a cocky tone,

“Well Bella that is my name after all.”

Her facial expression took on one of confusion so he elaborated,

“I am not just Lord Voldemort Bella, I am also Lord Slytherin. I am Salazar Slytherin’s last living heir. I took up the Slytherin Lordship when I turned 17.” 

Her jaw dropped hearing that information,

“Does that mean you can speak Parseltongue like Salazar Slytherin?”

He concealed a smile, and took another sip of his wine before hissing,

_ “Massee nesso sseilllaasss esseosss ssaeso messscee essa resssccces kaessaa casseass raasse facccia oesssa .” _

She shivered a little hearing him speak the language, because it had sounded rather seductive rolling so smoothly off of his tongue. He smirked at her reaction, and she inquired,

“What did you say My Lord?”

He gave her a suggestive look and teased,

“You know Bella, I don’t think I am going to tell you just yet.”

Her breath hitched, wondering all the things he could have possibly said. 

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the first course, which turned out to be breaded sea scallops, with mushrooms and truffle. They both ate the delightful course in content silence. 

The second course arrived soon after the first, which was cedar and pepper flavoured beef with asparagus, and grilled pigeon. They each ate a few bites of the course before Voldemort murmured,

“I do not know why I am so comfortable around you. I shouldn’t be. I shouldn't’t be spending time with you. I should send you away.”

Bellatrix set down her cutlery, and gave him a serious look,

“If you desire to send me away My Lord, then of course I shall go without hesitation. I would never hesitate to follow your orders.”

He sipped from his wine, and sighed before replying,

“I know you would never hesitate. You are the most loyal of all of my followers. But I do not want to send you away.”

She frowned a little,

“Well you are The Dark Lord, you get to have everything you want. So what is it that you want My Lord?”

Voldemort gave her an intense look,

“You. I want you Bella.” 

Her eyes burned with unshed tears then, and he continued,

“I feel… drawn to you, in a way I have never felt drawn to anyone. I do not understand why. Your magic soothes mine, when I am near you, or touching you.”

Bellatrix gasped,

“You can feel it too?”

He nodded,

“Yes I can feel it. I believe I m going to need to do some research soon to figure out what it is, I am certain this isn’t normal.”

“Yes My Lord.”

They both went back to finishing their second course in silence. Voldemort seemed to be thinking hard about something, but Bellatrix didn’t ask. If he wanted her to know what he was thinking he would tell her. Eventually he sighed, and seemed to push his thoughts out of his mind as he asked her,

“What else would you have done Bella?”

She understood what he was asking. What else would she have done if she hadn’t joined him. 

“I thought about just traveling for awhile, and then maybe opening up a potions shop in Diagon Alley. Although I much prefer the life I am living now. If I may ask… what else would you have done My Lord?”

He looked at her with his cold eyes thoughtfully for a moment before answering,

“I would have become a Professor.”

Her eyes widened in surprise, but then she remembered her dueling lessons with him. He was always patient when teaching her new spells, and he always knew just how to explain concepts so she could understand them without difficulty. 

“I believe you would have made an excellent Professor My Lord.”

He scoffed and said bitterly,

“Try telling that to Albus Dumbledore.”

Bellatrix gave him a questioning look, so he explained,

“I applied for the Defence against the Dark Arts position immediately after I graduated from Hogwarts, and again several years later. I was denied the job both times because Albus Dumbledore didn’t trust me. He was right not to trust me, but that doesn’t make it any less irritating.”

Bellatrix sipped from her glass of wine and said truthfully,

“Honestly, it is probably good that you didn’t get the position My Lord. I swear it is cursed. None of our Professors ever lasted longer than a year when I was in school.”

Voldemort gave her a wicked smirk then,

“Who do you think cursed it?”

Her jaw dropped and she laughed,

“That was you My Lord?”

He chuckled a little, looking very amused,

“Of course. I had to get revenge on Dumbledore somehow.”

Bellatrix just shook her head in disbelief. 

Their waiter returned then to remove their plates, and place a dessert in front of each of them. Bellatrix smiled a little when she realized it was Tiramisu. This was her favorite dessert, and she wondered if Voldemort had seen it inside of her mind. He gave her a meaningful look, and said simply,

“Yes.”

Bellatrix blushed when she realized he was in her head again, and wished more than ever she knew how to keep him out. He just smirked, and starting eating his dessert. Bellatrix started eating her own, and noticed he was watching her with a hungry look in his eye. That look made her a little breathless. 

He stood suddenly, leaving muggle money on the table. He pulled Bellatrix’s chair out for her and laced his fingers through hers again as they left the restaurant. Once they were outside of the hotel Voldemort took out the portkey and activated it quickly. 

They appeared in the Library of Malfoy Manor, and Bellatrix found herself pressed up against one of the book shelves, with Voldemort’s own body flush against hers. He cupped her jaw with his right hand, and his left hand went to her waist. Bellatrix placed her hands flat on his chest to steady herself.

Their magic was dancing excitedly around them, urging them to get closer. Voldemort carefully lowered his mouth to hers, and kissed her with soft, shaking lips. 

Bellatrix had never been kissed before, but she was very certain that normal kisses didn’t feel like this. She could feel the magic flowing through the kiss. It was making her head spin, and made her desperately want more. Voldemort must have felt the same way, because soon enough he was using his lips to part hers. She opened her mouth slightly and felt his tongue enter gently. Voldemort dragged his tongue around at a leisurely pace, mapping out her mouth, and she did the same to him. He tasted as divine as he smelled. Like the wine they had in Italy, and his own distinct flavour. She was surprised by how warm and soft he was like this, when normally he was so cold and unfeeling. 

Eventually the intensity of the kiss grew, and he kissed her with more force. But It wasn’t enough, they both wanted more. Voldemort ground his erection against her stomach then, which cause Bellatrix to moan into his mouth. His breath was shaking with need, and he continued to grind against her slowly. 

Bellatrix yanked her mouth away from his in order to catch her breath, but he just moved his mouth to her neck to kiss her there. Bellatrix gasped at the feel of it, and impulsively threaded her fingers into his dark wavy hair. He moaned quietly against her neck as she massaged his scalp, and eventually she found herself begging,

“More, please more My Lord,  _ please.. _ .”

He ripped his mouth from her neck and staggered back a few steps from her, looking extremely sexy. His chest was heaving, his hair was a mess, his lips were swollen, and she could see the bulge of his erection in his perfectly tailored trousers. She wanted nothing more than for him to kiss her again, but instead he looked tormented as he panted,

“No.. No Bella. I.. Can’t. Dueling lessons are canceled for the foreseeable future. Goodnight.”

He left the library quickly then, leaving Bellatrix leaning against the bookshelves still breathing heavily from the powerful kiss.

 

* * *

 

 

**March 18th 1970, Slytherin Castle Library**

 

Voldemort was pacing in his library, reading a book on magical bonds. 

He had enjoyed his time with Bellatrix tonight. He enjoyed The sight of her in her beautiful dress. He enjoyed talking with her, holding her hand, and more than anything else, he had enjoyed kissing her. He had never kissed a woman before Bellatrix, but the kiss had been intoxicating, like the best kind of drug. Their magic had linked during their kiss. It had surrounded them, feeling electrifying and enticing. Her soft lips, her hands pressed against his chest, and her fingers in his hair had all felt more than a little good. 

He wanted more. He desired her in a way he never knew he could desire anyone. 

His magic had been demanding that he go further, and he wanted nothing more than to rip that dress from her skin and kiss every inch of her. But no.. he couldn’t do that. He was meant to be alone he told himself, he didn’t have time to worry about Bellatrix. 

But as those thoughts were running through his mind, his magic felt irritated under his skin. It wanted him to go back to her, to kiss her again, to talk with her. And if he were being honest with himself, that was what his mind wanted too. He found her amusing and intelligent after their many conversations, and he felt comfortable around her in a way he had never felt comfortable before. Even tonight he had told her things about himself that no one else knew. 

No. He couldn’t go back to her. Not until he understood the bond between them. The pull had gotten stronger the more time they spent with one another, and became more intense the longer they kissed. He felt a deep  _ need _ to be with her. It was like a magnetic force, and if he were being honest, it terrified him. He didn’t know if he wanted to be tied to another person.

Voldemort continued his pacing and read further into the book on magical bonds. Finally he came to a page, that made his jaw drop.

**_Soul Bonds_ **

_ The soul bond is one of the most rare magical bonds in known existence. Those who experience a soul bond feel drawn to one another no matter what circumstances surround them.  _

_ The bonded pair are able to feel comfort, contentment and happiness in each other's presence unrivaled by anything else. The pair is able to trust one another completely due to their level of devotion to one another. It is likely that the two members will also fall in love at the deepest level. The two members are unable to kill one another, and if one member of the bonded pair dies, the other member will be left feeling anguished and desolate. _

_ Those who experience an uncompleted soul bond are said to feel a deep seated need to be with one another, both mentally and physically. Their magic is said to reach out, urging the two members to connect. Their magic will continue to urge the two parties to connect until they come together intimately, thus completing the bond. However, it may take multiple intimate encounters for the bond to become complete.  _

_ If the members attempt to ignore the bond. They will be left feeling incomplete and irritable. The irritation will continue to grow over time until the both members recognize the bond. _

_ Completed bonds can have a diverse range of side effects. The possibilities include: Emotional empathy, shared physical experiences (such as pain or pleasure), mental connections, increased power levels (When near one another), and shared magical abilities. _

Voldemort closed the book and sat down heavily in one of the libraries chairs and chuckled humorlessly. He didn’t know what to think. The whole idea of Lord Voldemort loving another person was completely ridiculous. Attraction and fascination he could understand, but love? No. He wasn’t capable of loving anyone. He had been conceived under the influence of a love potion, children conceived in such a way were unable to love he knew. 

He found the whole idea of a soul bond to be absurd, but he couldn’t deny that the sensations the two of them felt were listed in the description. The soul bond was the only bond he could find that even came close to explaining what Bellatrix and Voldemort shared. 

Voldemort didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know if he wanted to be bonded to anyone in such a way, but he had to admit he felt better whenever he was near her. He felt comfortable and content in a way he had never experienced before. She made him laugh, which was something he rarely ever did. He liked listening to her talk about all the deeds that had earned her detentions in school, and interesting books she had read. 

He shook his head then, pushing those thoughts from his mind. He was a Dark Lord. He was leading a war. He would ignore the bond and push through the irritation. He wasn’t going to let a bond control his actions.

The idea of a soul bond was ludicrous anyways.

  
  
  



	3. Restless

**April 14th 1970, Slytherin Castle Dungeons**

 

“ _Crucio!”_

Voldemort watched as the muggle thrashed and screamed loudly on the ground under his _Cruciatus_ curse. He had kidnapped this muggle from a small town, about 50 miles from Slytherin Castle. He had taken the muggle, hoping that a torture session would help relieve some of his ire. It wasn’t working. It had been weeks since he had seen Bellatrix, and the irritation had grown to new levels. His magic never calmed down anymore, it was always churning, like a dangerous river current around him, searching for something, searching for her.

His followers were more nervous around him now than they ever had been before. They could feel his restlessness in his magic. They avoided him as much as possible, not wanting to face the full force of his short temper. Voldemort usually avoided torturing his followers unless they spoke out of turn, or failed a mission miserably. He only punished them when they had done something to deserve it, because he knew harming his followers would breed discontentment within them, and he couldn’t have that. But these last few weeks, he had used the _Cruciatus_ curse on his followers, on more than one occasion for the smallest mistakes.

He wanted to see her desperately.

He missed talking with her, and being near her. He wanted to kiss her again. But no, he wouldn’t do any of those things, because he would not go running back to her. Not after how much time had passed. He didn’t want her thinking he needed her.

He looked at the muggle and released the curse, and the man laid there whimpering in pain. Voldemort decided torturing wasn’t going to help him, so he kicked the muggle in the face with his boot, and used a _Diffindo_ to cut off the muggles head. Some of the blood splattered on his robes, but he just stood there for a moment, watching the rest of the blood run across the floor.

Eventually he sighed, and vanished the mess on the floor and on his robes before leaving the dungeons to go find a large glass of firewhiskey.

 

* * *

 

**April 20th 1970, Malfoy Manor, The Dark Order’s Conference Room**

 

Lord Voldemort was sitting at the head of the table in the Dark Order’s main conference room, trying his hardest to calm his magic so that Abraxas Malfoy, Augustus Rookwood, and Corban Yaxley would give him their reports without stuttering with fear. It wasn’t working.

One person in the room looked especially fearful. Yaxley was sitting a few seats down from him, shaking visibly. Voldemort had a feeling that whatever report Yaxley was about to give him, was not going to make him happy.

Augustus Rookwood was currently reporting which unspeakables he had successfully put under the _Imperious_ curse in the ministry. But Voldemort lifted his hand to cut him off, while narrowing his eyes dangerously at Yaxley. His eyes glowed red as he hissed smoothly,

“Yaxley… What isss it you have to report.”

Yaxley looked like he was about to faint. His face was completely pale, and sweat was starting to glisten on his forehead.

“M-My L-Lord. You o-ordered us to eliminate Fabian and G-Gideon Prewett last n-night. S-So Rabastan Lestrange, Mulciber, and m-myself went to their last known r-residence in Wales. Both Prewetts attacked us the s-second we walked through the d-door. The brothers e-escaped. Lestrange and Mulciber were severely injured, and are b-being treated by healers now. We are so sorry M-My Lord.”

Yaxley seemed to be trying to make himself as small as possible. Voldemort just glared at him. His magic was crackling fiercely around him, emitting a feeling of pure rage. Suddenly Voldemort had his yew wand out and said quietly,

_“Crucio.”_

Yaxley fell out of his chair onto the ground, and screamed loudly at the power of the curse. Voldemort released it after a minute, and the tip of his wand began to glow green, the killing curse on the tip of his tongue. Yaxley’s eyes were wide with fear,

“P-Please My Lord! Please we won't fail you again!”

Voldemort lowered his wand slowly, still bristling with anger. He realized then, he never would have killed Yaxley for this failure if it wasn’t for the uncomplete bond. He would have punished him, yes. But not killed him.

Voldemort swept from the room then. Knowing if he spent any more time around his followers he was going to end up killing one of them today.

He was not going to give in to the bond. He didn’t need her he kept telling himself.

 

* * *

 

**April 25th 1970, Black Manor**

 

It was about six in the morning, and Bellatrix was pacing in her bedroom in her parents Manor feeling like she would kill the first person who tried to speak to her. She had never, in all her life, been this restless and aggravated. Her parents had tried to figure out what was wrong with her a few days ago, but she just snapped at them and told them not to speak to her.

It had been over a month since she had seen her Lord, and the overwhelming desire to see him had grown exponentially. She had spent time in the dueling chambers, and library of Malfoy Manor, hoping to see him, but he was never there. It was obvious he didn’t want to see her, so she had given up hope of ever seeing him again.

Bellatrix didn’t understand the connection was between them, it was unlike anything she had heard about before. All she knew, was that the level of need she felt for him wasn’t normal. Even being in the same room as him would have helped relax her, but she knew that would never happen again. Her Lord had abandoned her, and left an empty hole inside of her.

Bellatrix stopped pacing and decided to go to the Black Manor dueling chambers to help get rid of some of her irritation. She knew it probably wouldn’t help, but she couldn’t just stay in her room all day pacing. She walked down the stairs and down the corridor to the right, before entering the dueling chambers. She started casting spell after spell at the training dummies with as much power and speed as she could manage.

_“Reducto. Diffindo. Confringo. Expulso.”_

She continued this for awhile, but after about a half an hour of this, she was magically exhausted. But the restlessness was still there. She sighed deeply, and leaned against the wall, wishing there was some way she could get past this.

She looked up when she heard the door to the dueling chamber slam open.

 

* * *

 

Voldemort’s strong will had been weakening over the past couple days. Every hour it became more difficult to stay away. He had begun questioning why he was even bothering to stay away at all. He enjoyed every part of her anyways. But his stubbornness had won out in the end. He refused to give in.

But this morning, after waking up from a rather.. vivid dream of Bellatrix. His will to stay away had snapped. He needed her, and he needed her now.

He immediately showered and dressed, before apparating to the Black Manor where he knew she was staying. Cygnus had altered the wards to admit him, so he walked quickly to the front door before knocking. The house elf was there to open the door and he demanded,

“Show me to Bellatrix, right now.”

The house elf looked terrified but it nodded and said in a squeaky voice,

“Yes Lord Master sir. Follows me.”

The elf lead him through the corridors of the manor to a door.

“She’s is in theres Lord Master.”

Voldemort ripped open the door and saw her leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the room. Her eyes widened when she saw him and she stepped away from the wall towards him a little,

“My Lord.”

He strode quickly across the room, pushed her back against it, and lifted her up by her thighs. She wrapped her legs around him easily, and threw her arms around his shoulders as he bruised her mouth with his. He instantly moaned at the feel of her. She felt perfect like this, it was exactly what he had been craving for so long. His magic had calmed down completely the moment he had started kissing her. The peaceful feeling that came over him made him sigh in relief, after feeling so irritated and restless for over a month. He finally felt relaxed, but he still wanted more. He wanted all of her this time, bond or no bond.

She tasted just as delicious as the first time, and he went hard instantly. He started grinding against her leggings, and she moaned into his mouth. This made him more aroused than ever, so he stepped back from the wall and wrapped his arms around her. He turned to the right a little and apparated them into his bedroom in Slytherin Castle.

She was still wrapped around him when they appeared in his bedroom, so he unwrapped her legs from him and threw her hard onto the bed. She yelped then, surprised by being thrown.

He took out his wand to cast a contraceptive spell on her, and vanish all of her clothing so that she was naked to him. He groaned at the sight of her. She looked perfect. He stared for a moment, committing her to memory. Her breasts were round, and just the perfect size. Her skin was smooth and pale. Her curves were heavenly. He wanted to consume her. Both his mind and magic were demanding it.

He looked at her and said in a husky tone,

“No more pretending Bella.”

He stripped his own clothes off slowly, staring into her eyes the whole time. Her cheeks went pink with arousal as he removed his outer robe, tie, and dress shirt and threw them onto the floor. She moaned quietly when his toned arms, chest and stomach were bare to her. He continued undressing himself, removing his belt, kicking off his dragonhide boots and socks, unbuttoning his trousers, and removing them with his black tight fitting underwear.

When he was wearing nothing at all she begged him,

“Please My Lord, _please_ , I need you.”

He growled a little and crawled onto the bed, hovering above her. She looked nervous then, and she said,

“I have never done this before My Lord.”

He decided to be honest with her, so he gave her a meaningful look and replied,

“Neither have I Bella. In fact, you were the first person I ever kissed. I have never desired anyone before you.”

She seemed surprised by this, but he didn’t give her the chance to respond because he lowered his mouth to hers again. He kissed her slowly and carefully, savoring every second of it after going without her for so long. He spent a moment breathing in her familiar scent, before he pulled her bottom lip between his teeth He pulled back just enough then to whisper,

“This is probably going to hurt you.”

She just nodded and said honestly,

“I know, and I don’t care.”

He nodded and used his knee to part her legs. He leaned on his left arm, hovering a few inches above her, and trailed his right hand down her chest, squeezing at her breast. He continued moving his hand down her stomach slowly, settling between her legs. He watched closely, mesmerized by her, as she drove her head back into the pillow when he started caressing her there, and he moaned at the feel of her, warm and soaking wet for him. She grabbed onto his shoulders, and whined desperately for him. After a few moments of feeling her unsteady, warm breath on his lips, and feel of her under his hand, he couldn't wait anymore. His cock was throbbing, desperate for attention. He needed her, now. He yanked his hand from her and she whimpered at the loss of contact.

He lined himself up with her and pushed in quickly. She yelped in pain, but he felt nothing but immense pleasure. He wrenched his eyes shut, and had to stop for a moment so he wouldn’t lose himself too quickly. He never imagined it would feel this good. She was so tight, warm and wet around him. His breath was coming out in shallow pants, and he felt their magic become one. Once he had gained a bit of control back, he started to pump his hips slowly. He moaned at the feel of the delicious friction, and opened his eyes to look at her. She was watching him with half lidded eyes, and she no longer looked like she was in pain. He deepened his strokes and watched as she arched her back towards him and moaned in delight. He bent down again, but this time to suck hard on her neck. Bellatrix hissed with both pain and pleasure, and he knew he was leaving marks.

Voldemort knew he wasn’t going to last much longer. This all felt far too good. The feel of her enveloping him, the taste of her skin as he licked a line up her neck, the sound of her moans, the feel of their magic dancing around them, the bond between them.

It was all too much for him.

All of the sudden he felt her body tense under his, she let out a desperate cry,

“Ohh My Lord, Ah!”

Voldemort felt her clench around him and he let out a shuddering breath. He smashed his lips against hers and kissed her through her climax. Within seconds after hers, he wrenched his eyes shut again, and felt his cock throb and swell inside of her. He moaned into her mouth and bucked his hips hard against hers as his climax took over. He continued to kiss her as his body tensed. He twitched inside of her, and was hit with an enormous wave of pleasure. Their magic was flowing around them heavily, making them feel as if they were underwater.

He ended the kiss after a long while, and and pulled himself from her body. He saw a faint light glow around them then, but Bellatrix still had her eyes closed, so she didn’t see it. He decided that he would tell her about the bond later. Right now he was exhausted. He grabbed his wand from the table beside the bed with a shaking hand to clean both of them up. Then started to pull the blankets from under them and he heard Bellatrix whisper,

“Do you want me to leave My Lord?”

He looked at her, confused why she would think that. But then he remembered he was her Lord. She probably thought he wanted her for her body and nothing more. That wasn’t true, and he had absolutely no desire for her to leave his side any time soon, not after how miserable he had been for the past month.

“No Bella. You are staying until I tell you to leave.”

She just nodded, looking very drowsy. He pulled the blankets over both of them and laid on his side. He pulled her against his chest and wrapped his arms around her tightly. Something felt different about holding her in his arms this time. Their magic felt… more similar. It felt like electricity flowing through their skin where they were touching. It made him shiver in delight, and he heard her ask quietly,

“What is that?”

He sighed,

“I will explain later. I haven’t slept well for weeks, and I have nothing else planned for today so let’s sleep for a few hours.”

She curled up against him, brushing her fingers across his chest, and kissing his neck before she admitted,

“I haven’t slept well either My Lord. Being away from you was… hard I guess, to say the least. My magic made me irritable, and it only got worse as time went on. I didn’t understand it, but I am glad I am here with you now. I missed you My Lord.”

He took a deep shaky breath, and confessed,

“I... felt the same. The Death Eaters have been rather terrified of me the past few weeks because of it. I didn’t want to admit I desired you, I was too stubborn. If only I had given in sooner. Now get some sleep Bella.”

She yawned a little then and replied,

“Yes My Lord.”

He closed his eyes then and drifted off to sleep quickly, feeling more connected to her than before, and calm and complete for the first time in over a month.

 

* * *

 

Bellatrix woke in a very comfortable, but unfamiliar bed. She was confused where she was for a moment, but then remembered the events that had occurred this morning.

She smiled then, feeling content and satisfied in a way she had never felt before. Bellatrix was happy that her Lord had been the first one to take her. She just hoped he would be the last as well, she couldn’t imagine being with anyone else except him.

It had been perfect in everyway. He was gentle with her, in a way she hadn’t expected. The smell of pine and leather, and the feel of his skin touching hers. The feel of him kissing her, of leaving marks on her neck had driven her mad with need. The sight of him wearing nothing, his muscles toned perfectly, and just big enough. Gorgeous didn’t even begin to describe the man.

She was surprised then, to hear him chuckle, and to feel his hand brush through her hair from behind her. It felt good. She hummed a little and turned over to face him.

He was propped up against the pillows, dressed in black trousers, and a dark gray dress shirt with the top few buttons undone, exposing his chest a little. He had a book in his hand, and his normally cold eyes were warmer than usual.

“Gorgeous isn't enough to describe me, hmm Bella?”

She laughed a little and said truthfully,

“No My Lord. I dont have the right words to describe you.”

He just smiled a little, continuing to brush his hand through her hair. She sighed contently at the feel of it and apologized,

“I am sorry if I slept too long.”

He shook his head,

“No it’s fine. I just woke up a little while ago. Would you like a shower?”

She nodded,

“Yes My Lord, a shower would be nice, but I don’t have any clothes after… everything.”

He just smirked at her,

“I had my house elf go buy you some clothing. It is in the bottom shelf of the wardrobe over there, and the bathroom is just through that door.”

She nodded and thanked him, and sat up in the bed a little. She looked around the room, observing the white marble floor, stone walls, and elegant emerald and black carpet. To the far left side of the room was a gray stone fireplace, surrounded by multiple couches and chairs. And all along the wall opposite from the bed were large windows, overlooking a forest and lake. It looked expensive and beautiful, she couldn’t help but wonder where they were. As if sensing her thoughts, he explained,

“This is my private residence, Slytherin Castle. After you shower and dress I shall give you a tour.”

She looked over at him with wide eyes, before nodding and standing from the bed. She walked over to the wardrobe and opened it. Just like he had said, there were clothes meant for her on the bottom shelf. What surprised her was that there was enough clothing for more than one day. She picked out black leggings, an emerald green button up blouse, black lace undergarments, and flat heeled black boots that reached just below her knee. She grabbed her new clothing and walked towards the bathroom. His eyes following her the whole way with a hungry look. She flashed him another smile before she closed the door behind her.

Her mouth dropped a little at the size of the bathroom. Everything was white marble, and the large window allowed a lot of natural light into the room. They shower was big enough to fit 20 people easily, and had one very large shower head, that allowed the water to fall like rain from above. The bathtub was the size of a pool. Bellatrix had grown up wealthy, being born a Black. But this level of wealth was something else entirely. She set the clothing and boots down on the counter, and walked over to the shower. She turned on the water, which adjusted itself to be the perfect temperature. She stepped inside, enjoying the warmth of the water for a moment, before washing quickly, not wanting to keep him waiting for very long. Bellatrix dried herself off with a fluffy white towel, before dressing, and using cosmetics spells. She used the spells to apply light makeup, and dry her hair. She then braided her hair down her shoulder, before taking one last look in the mirror, making sure her appearance was acceptable. She stared at the marks on her neck and shivered. Remembering how it felt when he put them there. She left the marks there, not wanting to remove them since they were from him.

Lord Voldemort was still sitting on the bed reading his book when she walked out of the bathroom. He looked up as she entered the room, and raked his eyes up and down her form. He set down his book, and stood from the bed then. He glided over to her, and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against him. She put her hands flat against his chest, and he bent to kiss her. His lips were soft and warm against hers as he kissed her slowly. Her hands brazenly went to his cheeks then. She rubbed her thumbs under his eyes, surprised by how soft the skin was there. He liked that. She wasn’t sure how she knew, but she did somehow.

The kiss was so very enticing, with the way their magic was flowing around them and through their skin. He pulled his lips away from her after a few minutes, but she still kept one hand on his jaw, stroking it carefully. He sighed and leaned into her touch a little, which made her breath hitch. Eventually he pulled away completely, looking conflicted while saying,

“Come with me, there is something I need you to see. I’ll give you the tour later.”

She just nodded, and he laced his fingers through hers as he pulled her from the room. He lead her down a long winding staircase, and through many corridors, before coming to a set of very large, intricately carved wooden doors.

The doors opened, as they neared them, and lead into the biggest library she had ever seen. It made Malfoy Manor’s library look small and insignificant. The rows of books seemed to go on forever, and the stained glass windows gave the whole setting an ancient feeling. She gasped at the sight of it, and Voldemort informed her,

“Slytherins have always loved books. They have been adding to this collection since Salazar himself built the castle.”

It is very impressive My Lord.”

“Yes it is, but that isn’t why I brought you here just now.”

He lead her over to one of the many couches, before summoning a book, opening to a page and handing it to her. He sat down next to her and waited for her to finish reading.

Soul bonds. She shared a soul bond with Lord Voldemort, and they had taken a step to completing the bond just this morning.

“A soul bond. That’s why our magic acts strangely, and why it feels so good to touch you.”

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair as he admitted,

“I… have known about this for awhile now. Since the night I took you to Italy actually. The pull I felt towards you was so overwhelming that I spent the night reading until I found this. It was the main reason I kept my distance. You need to understand that I have never been close with another human being before. I have always been alone until now. I didn’t like the idea of having to depend on you because it felt like a weakness, it still does. But the longer I went without seeing you, the stronger my desire to see you became. I wasn’t able to fight it anymore, and I don’t think I will try fighting it again. I think it is fruitless for me to try. I admit that I enjoy you. I enjoy speaking with you, I enjoy your body, I even enjoy just being in the same room as you. My magic never feels as calm as it does when I am with you Bellatrix, so I will not fight the bond anymore. But you must understand that I cannot love you. I am not capable of such a thing.”

He looked at her with cold eyes then, and she replied honestly,

“I would never expect something like that from you My Lord. Any attentions you give me are like a gift. I have to admit that I feel honored to share such a bond with you, but I know that you are still my Master, and I am your servant. I will follow your orders always.”

He took a deep breath, and leaned over to kiss her. It seemed that they weren’t able to stay apart for long. Their magic was still urging them to connect again, since the bond was not yet complete. He pushed her over until he was laying on top of her kissing her deeply. After a couple minutes of this he pulled away and declared,

“You are going to live here. Tomorrow morning you can go back to Black Manor and pack your belongings. I have no desire to be far away from you at any point in the near future.”

Bellatrix nodded with wide eyes, both nervous and excited to be living with him.

“Thank you My Lord.”

He just nodded and pulled away from her completely. Once he was standing, he held out his hand to her and helped her up.

“Come Bella. I’ll give you a tour. I will be gone most of the day tomorrow for meetings, so I should at least make sure you know your way around. But first...”

He walked over to a desk in the corner of the room and took out a necklace. He walked back over to her and put it around her neck. Bellatrix looked at it closely, it was a silver, emerald encrusted snake necklace. She gasped a little and said honestly,

“It’s beautiful My Lord, thank you.”

“You are welcome. It is a portkey so that you may return here, since the wards only allow me to apparate in. This will allow you to pass through them unharmed. To activate it, just hold it tightly in your hand and say ‘Slytherin Castle’. This way you can return tomorrow after you go to Black Manor to retrieve your belongings.”

“Yes My Lord. Thank you again.”

He grabbed her hand and started to lead her from the room,

“You’re welcome Bella. Now, onto the tour.”


	4. You Have Earned This

**May 6th 1970, Slytherin Castle Library**

 

Bellatrix was seated on one of the couches near the fireplace in the Slytherin Castle library, still amazed by the number of books this place held. She was reading a book on advanced battle warding, although, she wasn’t really paying attention to the words.

Her mind was elsewhere, thinking about the past week and a half since reuniting with her Lord. She was still in awe of the fact that she shared such a powerful bond with The Dark Lord himself. She didn’t really understand why she was worthy of such a thing.

Bellatrix had been surprised by the attention he had given her. She had thought that he would just spend enough time with her to appease the bond, and then leave, but that was not the case. She had moved in with him, they shared the same bed each night, she ate meals with him when he was home, and they often spent their evenings reading in the library or dueling. He had told her once that he had never had a close connection with another human being, or even touched a woman before her.

Lord Voldemort loathed most human beings, and prefered his solitude. Although he enjoyed his time with her. Bellatrix knew he didn’t like depending on another person so completely, and she didn’t blame him, if she were being honest. Their bond was not yet complete, but she was now able to know what he was feeling whenever they were near each other, and he could feel the same from her.

Aside from the strengthened bond, she had really begun to appreciate the man that was Lord Voldemort in the past few days. He had started telling her things about his past here and there. Like some of his adventures around the world in search of Dark magic after being rejected as a Hogwarts Professor. She was starting to get to know the human man that was the Dark Lord, and she liked him. He always woke up in the mornings with messy hair and bleary eyes, whenever he read a book he would frown as if he were concentrating hard on the words, and he had a rather sly and witty sense of humor. She enjoyed seeing those parts of him that no one else saw.

Bellatrix smiled a little thinking about all of those things. She had feelings for him she knew. She didn’t know if it was love just yet, but she felt strongly for the man, after their many dueling sessions and meetings in the Malfoy library. He had told her the day they had reunited that he could never love her, and she knew that was true. She would never expect such a thing from The Dark Lord, but she didn’t think she would be able to keep herself from loving him in return.

Bellatrix looked up from her book as Lord Voldemort entered the library. He gave her a small smile, before he removed his outer robe and rolled up the sleeves of his black dress shirt. He surprised her then by giving her a quick kiss on the lips, and laying down on the couch with his head in her lap. She stilled for a moment, unsure of what to do, before she lowered one of her hands, and began to run her fingers through his his dark hair. He sighed contently and stated,

“I admit, I rather enjoy when you do this.”

Bellatrix could tell from the bond that he was in a good mood, so she decided to joke with him a little, and said in a slightly sarcastic voice,

“Hmmmm… I hadn’t noticed My Lord.”

He smirked at her from where he lay,

“Getting rather cheeky Miss Black. I may have to punish you.”

He said the last part with lust filled eyes, which made her a little breathless,

“With threats like that My Lord, I might start being cheeky more often.”

He gave her a real smile then and laughed,

“You amuse me Bella.”

She just smiled at him and went back to running her fingers through his hair. After a short while, he closed his eyes and his breathing slowed. She stared at his handsome face, and felt honored that he felt comfortable enough to relax so thoroughly in her presence. Bellatrix knew he would never allow himself to be seen in such a vulnerable state around anyone else.

She went back to reading her book then, just enjoying the feel of his silky hair underneath her fingers, and the soft glow the fireplace was emitting.

They stayed like that for a long while, before Voldemort opened his eyes and studied her face. He stared for so long that she began to worry, so she asked,

“Is something wrong My Lord.”

He just looked at her again, before stating,

“I want to show you something.”

He stood from his place on the couch and held his hand out to her then. She took it, curious what he wanted to show her, and was very surprised when he summoned her woolen cloak.

She gave him a curious look, to which he replied,

“We are going outside. It is still a little cold out so you will need this.”

He didn’t summon his own robe so she asked,

“You don’t want your own robe My Lord?”

He shook his head,

“No, I enjoy the cold. Besides, it is warm enough that I will be fine.”

She just nodded and wondered where he wanted to take her this time of night.

He laced his fingers through hers and began to lead her to the main doors of the castle. They walked out into the cool night air, and he pulled her over to one of the trails that lead into the ancient forest surrounding Slytherin Castle. Normally she would have felt nervous in the forest this late at night, but here with him, the most powerful wizard alive, she felt relaxed. They continued to walk in silence for a long while, before he turned to the right and lead her onto a smaller, less defined path. Bellatrix could hear water in the distance, and after a few short minutes they reached the source. In front of them was a river, with calm slow moving water. Voldemort pulled her over to a set of large rocks and sat down. She sat down beside him and he wrapped his arm around her. She leaned into his embrace, and took in her surroundings.

It was breathtaking.

The river was curving gently through the forest, and the dark blue water was sparkling like glitter in the light of the moon. The trees stood still in the background, as if they were trying to preserve the peace the scene before them created.

Bellatrix glanced up towards the clear night sky, admiring the way the way the stars shone bright, and danced through the darkness that was a never ending void.

She understood why Voldemort liked it here. This place gave off a feeling of ancient peace, one that neither time nor circumstance could break. Bellatrix had a feeling that if their world burned down around them, this place would still stand when it was all over.

She turned towards him, noticing that he was already looking at her. She admired the way his pale skin seemed to glow in the moonlight, and the way his dark hair seemed even darker than usual. He was just as breathtaking as the scene before them.

“It is truly beautiful My Lord.”

He nodded,

“I know, I come here when I need to relax sometimes. I have never shown anyone this place, or even Slytherin Castle for that matter. But I found myself wanting to share it with you Bella.”

She didn’t have a chance to reply then, because he cupped her jaw in his free hand, and lowered his lips to hers. He kissed her slowly and gently for a few short moments before he pulled away just enough to whisper,

“I do not know why fate felt it necessary to bond me to someone in such a way. But I must admit that if I must be bonded to anyone, I am glad it is you Bella. I cannot love you, but I do enjoy you in every way. I enjoy you more than I probably should, but I do not think that can be helped anymore.”

She gasped and her eyes welled with tears at his admission. He went back to kissing her then, sweeping his tongue across her lips. She took his face in her hands, and parted her lips to allow him access. He tasted sweet and delicious as usual. She took in the smell and feel of him being so near her. The smell of pine and leather, and the feel of his warm body heat in the cool night air. Bellatrix pulled back a little to whisper,

“I want you, please.”

He just nodded and stood from his place on the rock. He held out his had for her to take, and then apparated them both to the bedroom they shared in Slytherin castle.

They appeared in the bedroom seconds later, and went back to kissing each other slowly. Bellatrix moaned into the kiss quietly, while hoping her time with him would never end. He cast a contraceptive spell on her before they began removing each other’s clothing piece by piece. She loosened his tie, and began unbuttoning hit dress shirt. He unclasped her wool robe and let it fall to the ground, and reached behind her to unzip her flowing black dress. He pushed the dress from her shoulders and let it pool at her feet, before unclasping her black lace bra and pushing down her underwear. He kicked off his shoes and socks, and she unbuckled his belt before unbuttoning his trousers, and pushing them down.  

He ended the kiss then, and said quietly,

“Lay on the bed.”

She did as he said, and watched as he removed his black tight fitting underwear that she thought looked very good on him. He surprised her then by picking up the tie she had tossed to the ground, and crawling into the bed with it. He took her hands and placed them above her head, before using the tie to bind her wrists to the head board. She gasped a little, and a shock of arousal went straight through her.

He kneeled next to her on the bed, dragging his fingertips across her breasts and flat stomach. His touch sending sparks of electricity through her skin. He looked her in the eye and murmured,

“I have been looking forward to doing this all day Bella. I am going to take my time with you tonight.”

Her eyes widened, and she squirmed a little in anticipation. He moved to hover over her then, and began kissing her neck. She turned her head to give him better access, and moaned quietly at the feel of his soft lips dragging across her skin. He licked and sucked there just enough to make her shudder with want. The nearness of him, his smell, the touch of his skin, it was all very overwhelming. He moved down from her neck to her chest, and then to her breast. Voldemort sucked hard, and used his tongue to massage her there. She arched her back towards him, seeking more contact, but he pulled his mouth away and scolded her lightly,

“No Bella. Be patient.”

She nodded, not knowing how much more patient she could be. He went back to teasing and worshipping her body. She was amazed by Voldemort’s ability to control himself when the bond was urging them on, and every touch felt like pure bliss.

Bellatrix yanked at her bonds then, wanting to run her fingers through his hair, and pull his face up to hers so she could kiss him, but the tie held strong. Which made her more aroused than ever. She moaned quietly at the feel of him kissing her chest and massaging her thighs, as the throbbing between her legs became more insistent and difficult to ignore.

After what felt like hours, he moved his mouth back up to hers and kissed her harder than before. She could feel his intense arousal through the bond as he used his knee to part her legs.

He slid into her body smoothly and pulled his mouth away from hers as he moaned in pleasure. Bellatrix gasped at the feel of him. He was hard and full inside of her and it felt utterly perfect. He pumped his hips slowly but it wasn’t enough,

“Faster please My Lord, please.”

He gave into her pleas then and began pumping his hips more quickly. Bellatrix wrapped her legs around his waist, meeting each of his thrusts, urging him to go deeper inside of her. Bellatrix moaned loudly at the feel of Voldemort filling and leaving her. It was as if she were missing a piece of herself before he entered her, and she couldn’t get enough of him.

She wrenched her eyes shut as she felt her climax approaching like a freight train, but heard Voldemort demand,

“Look at me.”

She forced herself to open her eyes then, and looked at him. His eyes were half closed, his cheeks were pink, and his breath was shaking. She could tell he was getting close too.

All of the sudden Bellatrix moaned, and whispered unintelligible pleas as she felt a wave of bliss take over. That seemed to drive him to his own climax, because he bucked his hips once hard against hers, and buried himself in her. She felt his body tense, and felt him twitching inside of her as he came.

She watched in awe as the pleasure flashed through his crimson eyes, and he whispered her name.

“ _Bella.._ ”

He stayed inside of her for awhile as he came down from his high. Voldemort kissed her once softly and cleaned them both up with his wand, before laying behind her and pulling her tightly against him. He kissed the back of her neck and whispered,

“You are mine aren’t you?”

Her breath caught in her chest. All she had ever wanted was to be his. Her voice was shaking a little as she replied,

“Yes My Lord. I am yours in every way imaginable. I will always be yours.”

Voldemort just sighed and pulled her more tightly against him. Bellatrix closed her eyes and just absorbed the feel of his arms around her. She felt a strong swell of emotion for him, and wondered if she really was in love with Lord Voldemort before she fell asleep.

 

* * *

 

**May 7th 1970, Slytherin Castle**

 

Lord Voldemort looked down at the beautiful woman sleeping in his bed, still wondering why he felt so comfortable around her. He had never imagined himself telling anyone about his past, or taking anyone into his bed, but here she was. He just shook his head, and decided not to dwell on it right now.

Today was a special day for Bellatrix. She didn’t know it yet, but she was about to get her first taste of war. Some of his death eaters had gotten a tip that Edgar Bones and his wife were hiding in a small town near Leeds. He had trained Bellatrix in dueling for over a month, and had decided she was more than ready for the real thing. She would look beautiful fighting for him.

“Bella.”

She just rolled towards him, and buried her face in his chest. He smiled a little before running his fingers through her hair and repeating,

“Bella, wake up.”

She opened her dark eyes and looked at him then, and he suddenly found himself wishing they didn't have anything to do today.

“We need to get up. We have things to do today.”

She blinked the drowsiness from her eyes and asked,

“We?”

Voldemort nodded,

“Yes we, get ready and go put on your Death Eater dueling robes.”

She looked a little surprised then, probably wondering why she would need those robes since she had not yet been in battle. But she just nodded and said,

“Yes My Lord.”

He watched her as she stood from the bed, still naked from the night before, and made her way to the wardrobe he had duplicated for her the day she moved in with him. She took her black dueling robes out of her wardrobe and made her way into the bathroom to get ready for the day.

Voldemort stayed in bed for a while until he heard the shower turn off. Once he knew she was done showering, he stood from the comfortable bed and grabbed his own black dueling robes.

The robes they were wearing were worn by all death eaters. The robes consisted of an open black outer robe, with a silver dark mark clasp, and leather cusps worn on the forearms of the outer robe. Black trousers, a black leather belt with silver buckles, a black vest, black dragonhide boots, and a white mask.

Voldemort’s own dueling robes were a little different from the others. His robes were detailed with red and silver snakes, and he did not wear a mask. His robes were meant to stand out in battle in case his Death Eaters needed to find him. Bellatrix wore the normal Death Eater robes, except she wore leggings instead of trousers. Each uniform was tailored to each Death Eater, making sure they fit perfectly, allowing for little resistance when fighting in a duel.

Voldemort took his robes into the bathroom with him and stepped into the shower. He took the bar of soap off of the ledge, and began washing his chest and arms. He glanced over to Bellatrix then, who was braiding her hair, and noticed her watching him in the mirror. He decided to tease her a little so he said with a smirk,

“Are you enjoying the view Bella?”

She quickly averted her eyes, and her cheeks turned pink,

“Yes My Lord, I am sorry for staring.”

His smirk grew and he chuckled,

“I don’t mind Bella, not with you.”

She just gave him a dazzling smile that nearly took his breath away and went back to braiding her hair. Voldemort just shook his head, and wondered why he allowed himself to say half of the things he has said to her. She had a strange way of making him say whatever came to his mind when she was around, and it was slightly unnerving. He reminded himself then that he was still her Lord, and he couldn’t allow her to become too comfortable with him.

But then he paused, and wondered if it would be the worst thing to have someone who knew him well, someone who knew how to make him happy, and help calm him as the war started to heat up. Bellatrix knew him better than anyone else, even though she didn’t know a lot about him. She did a fairly good job of making him happy, and she was loyal to the marrow of her bones. Plus, they shared a soul bond. Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea if she were to get to know him more, as much as that idea terrified him.  

Voldemort finished his shower quickly and dressed. Bella was waiting for him in the bedroom, and he approached her.

“I have a surprise for you today Bella.”

Her eyes widened,

“What is it My Lord?”

He smirked, and asked,

“How would you feel about getting your first taste of battle today?”

She gasped and he saw the glee cross her face,

“My Lord… It would be an honor beyond measure to be able to fight for you.”

That sent an uncomfortable twinge of emotion for her through him. He yanked her tightly against him and kissed her hard for a few moments. When he pulled away, they were both panting and staring at each other with lust filled eyes. She always knew just what to say to him.

He was still panting as he informed her,

“Well Bella, you are in luck. The Dark Order was given a tip that Edgar Bones and his wife were spotted just outside of Leeds in an abandoned house. You and I are going to go there today and eliminate them both. Edgar Bones has been causing all manner of problems for us since he joined The Order of the Bloody Chickens. I want him gone.”

She looked a little nervous as she asked,

“You think I am ready for this My Lord?”

He nodded and replied firmly,

“Yes. You have excelled in dueling since I first started teaching you in January. You will do fine.”

She gave him a mischievous look as she declared,

“Well My Lord… Let’s go hunt some chickens.”

Voldemort laughed a little, and held out his arm so she could side along apparate with him. She put on her white mask, and pulled up her hood before taking his arm. He apparated them just down the block from the abandoned house, not wanting to set off any wards they may have set up. He glanced down at her and stated,

“I will take down Edgar Bones, you go for his wife. It should just be them in the house.”

She nodded and they walked towards the worn down white house. Voldemort could tell most houses in this neighborhood were abandoned, which was good, because he didn’t want to draw attention to them during Bella’s first battle. The stuck to the shadows of the trees, and moved slowly, feeling for wards.

Voldemort stopped once they were about 30 feet from the house. He felt a slight pulse reach out towards him, and he knew there were wards up ahead. He used his ability to feel magic to distinguish what type of wards they were. The wards he felt were fairly strong. Muggle repelling wards, notice me not wards, and multiple advanced protective wards. If Voldemort were a normal wizard, he probably would have had difficulty breaking through the wards, but he was not a normal wizard. With a few great slashes and flicks of his wand, he disabled the protective wards and the alarm. Making it so that the Bones wouldn’t know they had arrived. He also placed anti-apparition wards around the property so that they wouldn’t be able to escape.

Voldemort and Bellatrix stalked towards the house then with their wands pointed in front of them. Voldemort used a blasting curse to blow the front door apart before they both rushed in. The Bones were both in the parlour to the right, and immediately began dueling The Dark witch and wizard.

Voldemort quickly realized that him and Bellatrix made an excellent dueling pair. They always knew where the other was, and always knew what spell the other was going to cast next through the course of the battle. It was mesmerizing the way they moved fluidly around one another. Voldemort wondered distantly if it was because of the bond they shared, and then decided it didn’t really matter.

What mattered was that they made quick work of Edgar Bones and his wife. Voldemort decided that Bellatrix was never more beautiful than when she was bathed in the green light of the killing curse.

She turned towards him then, with a look of pure rapture on her face. He smirked at her before ordering,

“Look around for any information on Dumbledore’s movements. Anything useful.”

She nodded and they began rifling through the Bones few belongings. Voldemort found a file that listed several safe houses which he placed in his extendable pocket. He was almost finished searching one of their bags when he heard Bellatrix scream in his mind,

 _Look out!_  

He spun around quickly and barely dodged a killing curse that had been sent his way. Standing in the entryway to the parlour was the auror Alastor Moody. Moody had been rather high on The Dark Order’s kill list for the last few months after sending several Death Eaters to Azkaban. Moody growled at him,

“You are going to pay for what you have done you monster!”

Voldemort just smirked at him and replied smoothly,

“Now Moody, careful what you say. You wouldn’t want to make me angry would you?”

Before Moody could respond Voldemort sent curses his way,

“ _Reducto. Confringo. Avada Kedavra.”_

Voldemort was impressed with Moody’s impressive dueling skills. He was quick on his feet and very creative with his spell casting. If he weren’t so firmly under Albus Dumbledore’s thumb, he would have tried to recruit him for The Dark Order.

Moody quickly blocked and dodged all of the curses before sending his own back at Voldemort. Bellatrix stood to Voldemort's left incase he needed her, but otherwise stayed out of the duel. She could tell her Lord wanted to take out moody on his own.

The duel continued for awhile and steadily increased in intensity, and while Moody was a good dueler, he still was not a match for The Dark Lord himself. Voldemort blew apart Moody’s leg with a blasting curse, and moody apparated away, deciding he wasn’t going to survive much longer if he stayed.

Voldemort swore under his breath. Moody must have taken down the anti-apparition ward. He looked at the place on the floor where pieces of Moody’s leg were still laying. He just hoped he had done enough damage to kill the man.

Then he remembered the way Bellatrix had warned him about Moody. She had spoken to him in his mind. He turned towards her with a curious look on his face and asked in his mind,

_Can you hear me?_

Her eyes widened and she nodded,

_Yes. I did it on accident the first time. I didn’t know we could do this._

Voldemort shook his head,

_Neither did I, it has to be the bond. We will have to test the distance with this, to see how far away we can be and still speak to one another. This could be very useful in battle as you just proved._

Voldemort didn’t really like the idea of someone being in his head, and it terrified him how connected he was becoming to Bellatrix, but he supposed there was no helping it now. There wasn’t a way to eliminate the bond, and if he was being honest with himself, Voldemort didn’t really mind the bond anymore.

He gave her a serious look as he commented out loud,

“We need to leave. Now. Before anyone else decides to show up.”

Bellatrix agreed, and approached him then. She took the arm he was holding out for her and Voldemort apparated them to Malfoy Manor to debrief the rest of the Inner Circle.

 

* * *

 

**May 7th 1970, Malfoy Manor**

 

Bellatrix was following Lord Voldemort through the halls of Malfoy Manor, wondering why they were here. He must have sensed her question, or heard it in her mind because he said in a matter of fact voice,

“We are going to debrief the Inner Circle. They need to know the mission was a success.”

She gasped then and couldn’t help but ask,

“You want me in an Inner Circle meeting My Lord?”

He stopped walking and turned to face her,

“Yes Bella, you did an excellent job today, and you are the most loyal of all my followers. You would willingly hand over your life for my cause. That kind of loyalty is rare and should be rewarded. I believe you have earned this.”

Her eyes burned a little, and he glanced around to make sure no one was in the corridor. He walked towards her and bent down to place a firm kiss on her lips before he repeated,

“You have earned this.”

She was speechless. Voldemort had just given her a place in the Inner Circle. Bellatrix didn’t have the right words to thank him, so she impulsively grabbed his face and pulled it down to hers once more. She kissed him hard, as if he were her only source of air. Bellatrix poured her feelings for him into the kiss, hoping he would understand how grateful she was.

He grunted softly and pulled her tightly against his body, deepening the kiss for a few short moments. He stepped away from her, and glanced around to make sure no one had saw them. Bellatrix knew that Lord Voldemort didn’t want anyone else to know about them just yet. She was also still engaged to Rodolphus Lestrange, although she wished she wasn’t. She had been good friends with Rodolphus in school, but she had never been romantically involved with him. She even had a feeling that Rodolphus wasn’t interested in women at all.

“Let’s go Bella. They should all be here now.”

He turned and started walking down the corridor, with Bellatrix following him. They entered The Dark Order’s main conference room together, and looks of surprise came across the faces of the Inner Circle when they saw Bellatrix. Voldemort moved to sit at the head of the table while Bellatrix took one of the open chairs at the opposite end.

Most people in the room were glancing back and forth between Voldemort and Bellatrix, which made her cheeks turn pink, not liking the attention. Voldemort rolled his eyes at his Inner Circle and asked in a somewhat sharp tone,

“Is there something any of you would like to ask?”

Everyone looked nervous for a second before Evan Rosier dared to ask,

“My Lord… If I may ask, what is Bellatrix Black doing here?”

Voldemort frowned slightly and declared,

“Bellatrix here has earned her place in the Inner Circle.”

Rosier spoke up again,

“But… Isn’t she rather young My Lord?”

Voldemort gave him a very terrifying glare and demanded,

“Are you questioning my decisions Rosier? Do you not think me capable of making the correct choices?”

Rosiers eyes widened comically, and he stuttered,

“N-No My Lord. I apologize. Please forgive me.”

Voldemort continued glaring as he hissed,

“Watch your tongue Rosier. Remember who your Master isss.”

Rosier paled even more and ducked his head submissively,

“Yes My Lord.”

Voldemort glanced at Bellatrix then before he went on to explain the attack on the Bones.

“Bellatrix and I apparated to the abandoned house in Leeds, where we proceeded to kill both Edgar Bones and his wife. We were searching their belongings for any information pertaining to The Order of the Phoenix, when Alastor Moody decided to show up. We dueled, and I blew off his leg with a blasting curse. He was severely injured, but before I could kill him he apparated away. I would like everyone to keep their ears open in the Ministry for news on his health. I want to know if he survived. Do you understand?”

Everyone nodded their assent, and murmured ‘Yes My Lord’,

“Good. I also have a list of safe houses that Dumbledore’s order could be using.”

He then handed the list to Abraxas Malfoy and ordered,

“Abraxas, I would like you to divide up the safe houses among the Death Eaters. I would like all of them checked tonight before they are all abandoned for good. Make sure teams of about five or six raid the houses to make sure we are not out numbered.”

Abraxas took the list and replied,

“Yes My Lord. I will get the assignments divided up at once.”

Voldemort nodded once and said,

“Good. Dismissed. Bella, stay.”

Everyone stood from their seats and glanced curiously at Bellatrix, wondering what she had done to get their Lord’s attention. Bellatrix for her part stayed seated and looked down at the table, still uncomfortable with the staring.

Once everyone had gone Voldemort stood from his place at the head of the table and said quietly,

“Come here.”

She walked over to him, where he proceeded to wrap her tightly in his arms and lean down to bite and suck on her neck. Bellatrix moaned quietly in response and wrapped her arms around his shoulders to steady herself.

When he pulled away from her, his eyes were intense, and he gave her a suggestive look as he stated,

“I think we should go home and celebrate your promotion into the Inner Circle, don’t you?”

Bellatrix was abruptly breathless then, as a jolt of arousal went through her.

“Yes My Lord, I think that would be a wonderful idea.”

He gave her a seductive look, as he purred in his deep, smooth voice,

“Perfect. I hope you don’t have any plans tomorrow, because you aren’t going to be able to walk when I am done with you tonight Bellatrix.”

She gasped, and it took everything she had not to beg him to take her right here on the table instead of waiting to get home. Voldemort shivered a little then and said in her mind,

_I heard that._

Her eyes widened as he warded and silenced the room, and threw her down on the table.

  



	5. You Are Mine

**June 3rd 1970, Order of the Phoenix Safe House**

 

“Bella and Ares Yaxley, you are both with me, we will take the East entrance of the house. Rodolphus, Rabastan, and Dolohov, you will all take the West entrance. Don’t let anyone escape. I want prisoners so we can interrogate them for information.”

Everyone murmured ‘Yes My Lord’s’ quietly, before Lord Voldemort turned to face the wards that were surrounding the safe house they had discovered two days earlier. He gracefully altered the wards so that they could enter the property without being detected.

Once he was finished he motioned with his hand for the two groups to start moving. They all stuck to the trees as they made their way towards the house under the cover of darkness. Once Voldemort was in place with Bella and Ares, he sent a burn through Rodolphus’ Dark Mark to signal them to enter the house.

Both teams blasted down the doors and began clearing the rooms of the house. The first floor was empty, so Voldemort’s team started to go upstairs, while Rodolphus’ team went into the basement. Voldemort walked up slowly, since he wasn’t able to see around the corner at the top of the stairs. Bella had put up a shield around all of them, so that Voldemort and Ares could cast spells without worry of being hit by one in return. When they neared the top of the stairs, Voldemort heard his other group of Death Eaters start yelling out spells in the basement. They must have found someone, he thought to himself. Just as they were about to turn the corner at the top of the stairs, someone from down the hall cast several offensive spells at them. Voldemort spun back towards the corner to avoid being hit. He looked at Bella and said in his mind,

_On three. One. Two. Three!_

Both of them moved quickly from the corner into the hallway and began casting spells non verbally. Ares joined them not a second later, and the three of them made quick work of the two Order members that were at the end of the hallway. Lord Voldemort walked ahead of his other two team members slowly. One by one they cleared the small rooms into the house until there was only one room left. The room the two Aurors had been standing in front of at the end of the hall. Voldemort blew the door of its hinges, causing it to explode into pieces. He stalked into the room with his wand held out in front of him, and Bella’s freshly cast shield charm surrounding him.

Someone within the room sent a stupefy his way, but the shield charm stopped it. He shot back several stunning curses at the woman who tried to hit him. She managed to block the first two, but the third one broke through her shield, causing her to collapse ungracefully onto the floor. Ares had stunned another woman that had been hiding behind the bed on the left side of the room. Voldemort looked towards Bella who was standing over the first woman’s unconscious body that was sprawled over the floor. He sensed a spark of alarm from her as she spun towards the door and cast several spells in rapid succession. Voldemort spun around as well, seeing the man who had managed to sneak up on them fall to the floor, joining the first two men. He recognized that all three men were members of the Fenwick family, and he assumed that the two women were their wives.

Voldemort felt a burn on his Master Dark Mark, which signaled that the basement was all clear. He looked at his two followers and ordered,

“Levitate all of these bodies to the first floor. Ares when they are all moved down there, take their wands and tie them up. I don’t want there to be any chance of them escaping. Check this floor for any information we can use, although I have a feeling they were smart enough not to keep anything too valuable in the house after the last time, when we found a list of all of their safe houses.”

Both Bella and Ares responded simultaneously,

“Yes My Lord.”

Voldemort nodded and walked back down to the first floor where Rodolphus, Rabastan, and Dolohov were waiting. The bowed slightly when he walked in, and Rodolphus began to report,

“My Lord, Gideon and Fabian Prewett were both in the basement. We were not able to capture them, and they were about to escape, so we decided killing them would be better than letting them go. We checked the basement and first floor for any information on the Order’s activities, we didn’t find anything. We are sorry for our failure Master.”

Voldemort shook his head,

“No. Killing them was a good choice. I would rather have them dead than have to worry about them causing problems in the future. We have five Order of the Phoenix members upstairs that Bella and Ares are bringing down now. They should be enough to gain some useful information.”

“Yes My Lord.”

The four of them waited quietly for Bella and Ares to bring down the prisoners, and once they were all downstairs, Voldemort ordered,

“Each of you take a prisoner and side along apparate them back to Malfoy Manor. Interrogate your chosen prisoner, and find out everything they know. Once you are finished, go home for the evening. We will meet in the morning to discuss everything you learn from them, and debrief the rest of the Inner Circle. Go.”

“Yes My Lord.”

  


* * *

 

**June 4th 1970, Malfoy Manor, The Dark Order’s Conference room**

 

“Last night we raided the safe house we discovered several days ago. Rodolphus, Rabastan, and Dolohov killed Gideon and Fabian Prewett.”

A small round of applause went around the table. The Prewett brothers had been a thorn in The Dark Order’s side since the start of the war. Voldemort just waited for the applause to end before he continued,

“Yes, a job well done gentlemen. Bellatrix, Ares, and I found and stunned five other members that were hiding in the house. They were each interrogated last night for information. Overall, last night was a good night for the Dark Order. This will be a very large blow for Dumbledore.”

Another round of applause went around the table, and Lord Voldemort looked very pleased. Bellatrix was sitting a few seats down the table from Voldemort. She had been working her way up the ranks of the Inner Circle rather quickly over the past month. She had impressed nearly everyone with her incredible dueling skills and intense loyalty. She had earned her place, and she hoped that one day she would earn her place as her Lord’s right hand. Voldemort looked at her from his normal place at the head of the table and asked,

“Bella, please report what you all learned during the interrogations last night.”

Most of the Death Eaters looked surprised that The Great Lord Voldemort just said ‘please’, and Bellatrix had to suppress a smile. She felt Voldemort’s amusement through the bond at their reactions as well. She bowed her head slightly before looking into his eyes and reporting,

“My Lord, we were able to retrieve the locations of two possible safe houses, and a short list of Death Eaters who are being watched by the Order of the Phoenix.”

He nodded,

“Good, I would like that list later today.”

“Yes My Lord.”

Voldemort glanced around the table before asking,

“Does anyone have anything else to report?”

Corban Yaxley raised his hand slightly, and Voldemort motioned for him to speak.

“My Lord, I would like to report that two lower level Death Eaters have been accepted into the auror department. I ordered them to listen for any useful information, and report back to me instantly if they discover anything useful.”

Voldemort smirked, obviously very pleased with this report,

“Excellent. I would like everyone currently here, to continue to place those loyal to me in useful positions within the Ministry. Does anyone have anything else?”

No one spoke up this time so Lord Voldemort waved his hand,

“Dismissed.”

Everyone bowed to him, and left the room, including Bellatrix. She was walking down the hall, planning on going to the library to wait for Voldemort to finish his paperwork, when she heard someone say her name behind her,

“Bella.”

She turned around and came face to face with Ares Yaxley, the younger nephew of Corban Yaxley. He had been a year above her when they had attended Hogwarts, and he looked rather like his uncle. They both had the same tied back blond hair, blue eyes, and serious faces. She was confused why he wanted to speak with her, but she just gave him a small smile and said politely

“Hello Ares. How can I help you?”

Ares smiled shyly and shrugged,

“I just wanted to say you were magnificent in battle last night. It was very impressive, you made it look completely effortless. You were also very beautiful.”

Bellatrix’s eyes widened. That was not something she wanted to be hearing from Ares Yaxley.

“Um, thank you, I guess.”

She felt an intense feeling of anger and possessiveness through the bond, and looked behind Ares to see Voldemort standing in the doorway of the conference room. He was glaring daggers at the back of Ares’ head.

Bellatrix looked back at Ares, who was smiling at her, and said,

“Excuse me, I have to go.”

She walked around him quickly and walked towards Voldemort. Ares looked confused, and he watched her walk away. He flinched when he noticed the way Lord Voldemort was glaring at him, and quickly left the corridor.

As Bellatrix approached Voldemort his face softened a little, but she could tell he was still very angry. He grabbed her hand and snapped,

“We are going home.”

She lowered her eyes and let him drag her through the halls of Malfoy Manor out to the apparition point. He wrapped his arm around her and side along apparated them both into their bedroom in Slytherin Castle. When they came to, Voldemort threw her roughly onto the bed and began stripping his clothing. He glared at her and said harshly,

“You should not have let him speak to you in such a way. You belong to me Bellatrix. I am going to have to talk some sense into that boy.”

Bellatrix shook her head,

“I am so sorry My Lord. You are right, I should have told him not to speak to me that way. I am yours.”

“Do you want the Ares boy? He definitely has had some rather uncouth thoughts about you.”

Her eyes widened,

“No of course not My Lord! I only want you, only you. I share a soul bond with you. Ares is irrelevant and harmless.”

Voldemort scoffed,

“Harmless? You think that boy is harmless? Did you forget that I am a Legilimens Bellatrix? I can see his thoughts. I saw the way he wanted to fuck you against the wall, or tie you to a bed and fuck you into the sheets.”

Bellatrix gasped at his vulgar language, he rarely ever swore unless he was extremely angry. He stripped off the last of his clothing as he sneered,

“I would kill that boy if it didn’t mean losing the respect of several important followers. Obviously, I am going to have to remind you who you belong to.”

Voldemort pointed his wand at her and vanished her clothing and muttered a contraceptive spell. Before flipping her over onto her stomach and pulling her to the edge of the bed. He muttered a wandless lubrication spell, not that she needed it. Seeing him angry and possessive was more than a little arousing for her.

He pushed himself into her and started fucking her at a brutal pace. He pushed her hips hard down into the bed, creating just the right amount of friction when he thrust his cock into her. Every ounce of this felt delicious, and Bellatrix knew it wasn’t going to be long before she lost control. He moaned from behind her, and she screamed loudly as her climax barreled towards her suddenly. She grasped the sheets desperately, as she came with the force of an explosion. He was far too much, and this all felt too good.

After her climax had passed, he bent down a little and whispered as he continued to move against her,

“You are mine Bella. Next time a boy flirts with you, remember how loudly I can make you scream.”

She moaned in response to that, and he jerked his hips hard against hers one last time. She moaned again quietly at the feel of him finishing inside of her, still panting from the overwhelming climax. He just held her hips for several minutes while he recovered, before pulling out and laying on the bed next to her.

Bellatrix reached for her wand that was laying on the bed and cleaned both of them up. She layed on her side facing Voldemort, holding herself up with her elbow, and cupped his jaw in her hand. She ran her finger gently under his eye and turned his head so he would look at her.

She almost gasped at the amount of emotion she saw in his normally cold eyes. She could tell what he was feeling though the bond they shared, and by the emotion on his face. Bellatrix knew that he was worried she would find someone better and want to leave him, and he was scared because of how connected he was to her. 

Normally Lord Voldemort had a heart of stone. He was ruthless, and the world feared him for it. With Bellatrix however, he was something else entirely. She could tell he needed to be reassured, so she decided to say what she had been afraid of saying for nearly three weeks now.  

Bellatrix straddled his hips and bent down to kiss him softly before she whispered against his lips,

“I could never be with anyone else My Lord because I am in love with you. You are the only one I could ever want. I love you, truly.”

Voldemort inhaled sharply, and looked into her eyes, searching for the truth. Bellatrix tried to force all the love she had for him into her expression. He looked like he was in pain then, and he wrenched his eyes shut.

Bellatrix kissed his chiseled jaw, and both of his cheek bones, before kissing his lips very gently again. He seemed almost fragile just now, she had never seen him like this before. She touched her forehead to his and whispered again,

“I am yours completely because I love you. Nothing could ever change that.”

His breathing was a little shaky as he whispered back ,

“No one has ever loved me before Bellatrix, I am not quite sure what to do with the sensation I admit. I am very fond of you Bella, but I am still not capable of loving you.”

She pulled away from so she could look into his eyes as she said honestly,

“I know My Lord. I would never expect that. Being with you like this, living with you, is more than I could have ever hoped for.”

He just nodded and pulled her face back down to his so he could kiss her again. Voldemort dragged his tongue across her lips, and he caressed her tongue with his when she opened her mouth for him. She couldn’t help but groan quietly. Gentle moments like this one, were always her favorite moments with him. He pulled away just enough to whisper,

“I believe I am going to cancel your engagement to Rodolphus. I can’t share you with anyone Bella. I want you to be mine and mine alone.”

Bellatrix gave him a bright smile and laughed a little,

“Thank you My Lord. I only want you. I never wanted to marry him anyways.”

Voldemort returned her smile and chuckled,

“Well good, I am glad you do not have any objections.”

He rubbed his hands up and down her arms a few times before his face turned serious and he said,

“Just because you are no longer going to marry him, does not mean that I will marry you. Just as I cannot love you, I cannot marry you either. I am a Dark Lord. We do not have wives. I have no desire for such a formal commitment anyways. What we have is enough.”

Bellatrix just gave him another warm smile,

“It is more than enough My Lord. I would never expect marriage from you. I will love you either way.”

Voldemort smirked, and Bellatrix could feel him starting to go hard beneath her again. She ground her hips down against him, causing him to moan. His breath was rickety with want as he suggested,

“Why don’t we both go take a bath Bella.”

She smirked back,

“I think that sounds perfect My Lord.”

  
  
  
  
  
  



	6. Everyone Will Know

**June 20th 1970, Slytherin Castle Library**

 

_Dear Bellatrix,_

 

_Your mother and I would love for you to join us tomorrow for tea. It has been too long since we have heard from you darling, and we hope to see you soon._

 

_Mother & Father _

 

Bellatrix scowled at the letter, already knowing what this little ‘meeting’ was about. Lord Voldemort had informed them, along with the Lestranges that Rodolphus’ engagement to Bellatrix had been dissolved. He had simply written them all letters saying he would not allow the wedding to take place, and left it at that. He hadn’t given them a reason why.

Because of this, her parents were going to ask questions, and it wasn’t as if Bellatrix could tell them she was living with The Dark Lord himself. She decided she needed to ask Voldemort what she should tell her parents, not wanting to take the risk of giving away too much information. Bellatrix sighed, not at all looking forward to explaining the situation to her parents. She stood from her favorite couch in the library, and started the long walk to the North Wing of the castle, where the castles largest tower-The North Tower-was based. The tower was designated as the Slytherin family's private quarters, and Lord Voldemort’s private office was located on the floor below the bedroom they shared.

She remembered the first time he had given her a tour of Slytherin Castle. It had taken him hours to show her everything, and she had been in awe. It had everything one could possibly need to live, and one was never bored within the castle. There were five total libraries including the main library, beautiful gardens, stables filled with horses to ride, four separate dueling chambers, a courtyard at the center of the castle with an elegant fountain, and the forests surrounding the castle, filled with trails to walk.  The castle itself made every other pureblood manor or castle look small and insignificant. The only place Bellatrix knew of that could even compare was Hogwarts itself. Slytherin Castle had been built for a king, a suitable home for The Dark Lord and future ruler of wizarding Britain. It was still had to believe Bellatrix lived in such a place. The Black family was one of the wealthiest in Britain, and even the world, but the Black family wealth couldn’t compare to the Slytherins.

Bellatrix stopped her internal musings when she reached the door to Lord Voldemort’s office. She knocked quietly, and opened the door when he instructed her to do so, and closed the door behind her. She loved being in his office, it smelled exactly like him, like pine and leather, which always helped her relax when she needed it. The large windows overlooked the forest, and let in plenty of light, giving it a comfortable atmosphere. Bellatrix sat down in the chair on the opposite side of his desk, and looked at the man she loved. He was bent over his desk working on the mounds of paperwork that came with being a Dark Lord. His dark hair had grown longer, and was nearly covering his eyes. He was wearing an emerald green robe with a black dress shirt and black trousers. He looked very handsome just now, she thought to herself.

Voldemort finished the sentence he had been working on writing, and looked up at her. He gave her a small smile, that he only reserved for her and asked,

“What is it Bella?”

Bellatrix returned the smile, and handed him the letter she had been sent by her parents. He read it silently before stating,

“They want to know why the engagement is off.”

Bellatrix nodded,

“Yes My Lord, I wanted to ask you what I should tell them.”

He looked at her thoughtfully for a moment before shrugging,

“Tell them the truth Bella. Tell them you are mine now.”

Her eyes widened, she didn’t understand,

“My Lord… I thought you didn’t want anyone to know about our.. about our involvement?”

“I didn’t, not at first. But that has changed now. I ended your engagement because I wanted you for myself, and you live with me in my home. I hold no desire to keep our involvement a secret any longer. In fact, I had something made for you.”

Voldemort opened one of the drawers on his desk and took out a flat velvet box. He stood, and walked around his desk, before leaning against it and handing the box to Bellatrix. She looked at him, surprise running through her. He gave her a pointed look and said,

“Go ahead, open it.”

She nodded and opened the lid of the box. She gasped, and her eyes burned when she saw what the box held. Inside was a necklace. An elegantly designed Dark Mark necklace, inlaid with copious amounts of onyx stones and diamonds. This necklace must have cost him a fortune. Her eyes burned, as she ran her fingertips across the Dark Mark. She looked up when she heard him ask,

“Would you like me to put it on for you?”

Bellatrix just nodded, wholly unable to speak at the moment. She had never expected this from him.

Voldemort took the necklace from the box, and stood behind her. He gently moved her hair aside, before clasping the necklace around her neck. He moved to stand in front of her, and dragged his knuckles across the Dark Mark while saying,

“I had this custom made for you, by a very skilled wizard jeweler in France. Now everyone will know you have been claimed by The Dark Lord.”

She just gave him a bright smile, and reached to pull his face down to hers. He smiled against her lips as he kissed her gently, dragging his own lips across hers carefully. Bellatrix ended the kiss after a few short moments and embraced him. She buried her face into his perfectly  muscled chest, enjoying the feel of his warmth, and his strong arms wrapped around her.

“Thank you My Lord. It is beautiful. I know I do not deserve you, but I thank you just the same. I love you.”

“Bella… If anyone on this Earth deserves me it is you. You are mine, and in a way, I suppose that I am yours as well. At least in a way no one else has ever had me.”

Bellatrix gasped hearing those words, and her eyes filled with tears once again. She buried her face deeper into his comfortable chest, and whispered,

“My Lord… I am not sure what to say. Thank you.”

“You needn’t say anything at all. I know what you are feeling through the bond remember? That is enough for me.”

Bellatrix just nodded and stayed wrapped in his arms for a while longer, savoring the sensation of the magic flowing between them. Their magic had become almost the same. Bellatrix’s magic had adapted to become like his, since he was the more powerful one out of the two of them. They shared emotional empathy, and a mental connection now, and she couldn’t help but wonder what other symptoms they would experience as the bond progressed.

Bellatrix sighed and asked,

“Are you sure you want everyone to know? Should I tell them I live with you?”

She felt him kiss the top of her head and murmur,

“Yes Bella I am sure. If I wasn’t sure, I wouldn’t have gotten you the necklace. Go ahead and tell them you live with me, as long as they do not know where we live. Tell them whatever you need to, I trust your judgement.”

“Yes My Lord. I believe I should meet with Rodolphus as well. I don’t think he will be at all upset about the engagement, because I am fairly certain he hold no interest in women. But I think I should still discuss it with him.”

Voldemort nodded,

“Of course. Just so you know, you are right. I looked into his mind several months ago and saw that he is not interested in women. I believe he will be rather happy with this development.”

“That is good. He has been a good friend of mine for years, but the romantic interest was never there. I reserve that solely for you.”

Voldemort placed his fingers under her chin and tipped her head up to look at him. He was smiling warmly at her as he said,

“How did I manage to get so lucky with you?”

She cupped his jaw in her hand, and rubbed her fingers across the scruff that had begun to grow there.

“My Lord, I am the lucky one. I get to be with the most handsome, powerful, and charismatic man in Britain. You make me happier than anyone else in the world. I just hope I give you some measure of happiness in return.”

He frowned then,

“Isn’t it obvious? You make me very happy Bella. You have made me happy in a way I never thought possible before.”

She gasped a little, and he bent to kiss her again before she could respond.

 

 

* * *

 

**June 21st 1970, Black Manor**

 

“Hello mother, father.”

Cygnus and Druella Black stood from their chairs in the parlour when Bellatrix entered the room. Cygnus smiled lovingly at his eldest daughter and replied,

“Hello darling. Wonderful of you to join us. Please have a seat and we will have the house elf bring us tea. Nimsey! Bring us tea.”

Bellatrix sighed and sat down on the chair situated across from her parents. Not at all looking forward to this conversation. Her mother picked up a cup of tea and began,

“Well dear, how are you doing?”

Bellatrix gave her a feigned smile,

“I am doing very well mother, how are you?”

Druella frowned a little,

“I have to admit, I am shocked. I had not expected to get a letter from The Dark Lord himself saying that you were not allowed to marry Rodolphus. He didn’t even give us a reason why he wouldn’t allow the union. We spoke with the Lestranges and they did not know either. So Bellatrix, we were hoping you would be able to shed some light on the subject.”

Bellatrix sipped from her own cup of tea, suddenly wishing it was something stronger that tea,

“Yes mother, I know why he ended the engagement.”

Bellatrix touched the necklace he had given her the day before, drawing her parents attention to it. Both of their eyes widened drastically, suddenly understanding everything. Cygnus looked worried as he stated,

“He wants you for himself. That is why he made us dissolve the contract.”

Bellatrix nodded,

“Yes father. I belong to him now. I have been living with him since I moved out at the end of April.”

Druella gasped,

“Bellatrix. H-How did you? In all the years that we have known The Dark Lord, he has never taken a lover. Why you? Why now?”

Cygnus cut in then,

“He is a dangerous man Bellatrix. I am his loyal servant, but I want you to be safe. The Dark Lord does not have friends or family. He is just using you.”

Bellatrix became abruptly angry,

“No mother, father. You do not understand what I am to him, what he is to me. He is The Dark Lord, of course he is dangerous. But he is not using me.”

Cygnus frowned deeply,

“How do you know that? Should we expect a marriage proposal from him in the future? Is this serious?”

“No of course you shouldn’t expect a proposal! He is The Dark Lord! He would never marry anyone. He is not using me father. I do not care to discuss that in anymore detail.”

Druella looked slightly heartbroken as she whispered,

“What about Rodolphus? The two of you have been close friends since you were young?”

“I have a feeling that Rodolphus will be just fine mother. I am meeting him tonight at Lestrange Castle for dinner.”

“How can you say that? He has been very fond of you for years!”

Bellatrix just sighed, knowing it wasn’t her place to say Rodolphus was most likely gay.

“Yes mother we are both fond of one another, but not in the way you think. We are just friends, that is all we have ever been. He will find someone he truly loves someday and I will be happy for him.”

Both of her parents sighed, still not looking very happy about the situation.

“Mother, father, he treats me well. I promise. He is different with me, and that is all I can say. I cannot talk about The Dark Lord’s personal life in depth.”

Cygnus and Druella seemed to realize their daughter was telling the truth,

“Very well dear. If you need anything you know where to find us. Be careful.”

“Of course I will, I love you both. I need to leave so I can meet Rodolphus for dinner. Good day.”

Bellatrix stood up and hugged both of her parents.

“Good day darling. We love you too.”

 

* * *

 

**June 21st 1970, Lestrange Castle**

 

Rodolphus came walking down the corridor to the entrance of the castle wearing elegant dark red robes with black trousers. His dark hair had grown since they were in school, and now reached his shoulders. He walked up to her with a smile on his face, Bellatrix smiled back and said,

“Hello Rodolphus, how are you?”

“I am excellent Bella, and you?”

“I am doing very well. I just left Black Manor. I was being interrogated by my parents.”

He looked at her curiously and asked,

“About the engagement?”

Bellatrix nodded,

“Yes, about that.”

“I have to admit, I am curious as to why The Dark Lord canceled the wedding myself.”

Bellatrix just gave him another small smile and suggested,

“Why don’t we discuss this over dinner?”

Rodolphus nodded and they made their way to the main dining room that had already been set up for the evening. He pulled her chair out for her, and sat across from her. She waited until the first course had been served to tell him the truth.

“I suppose I owe you some kind of explanation. The reason The Dark Lord ended our engagement was because he made me his. I belong to him now, and he doesn’t want me to be with anyone else.”

Rodolphus’ jaw dropped,

“You are… involved with him?”

Bellatrix nodded and took a sip of wine,

“Yes I am with him, I have been for almost two months now.”

Rodolphus still seemed in shock as he replied,

“So that is why you moved out of Black Manor? You live with him don’t you?”

“Yes I live with him.”

“Does he treat you well Bella? Are you safe with him?”

Bellatrix gave him a reassuring smile,

“Yes Rodolphus, he is good to me. I do not know if anyone is ever completely safe when there is a Dark Lord involved, but yes, he is good to me. I am happy.”

Rodolphus returned her smile,

“Well Bella, this is all very shocking news, but if you are happy with him, then I am happy for you. I have to admit, I wasn’t that upset to hear the wedding had been canceled.”

Bella laughed a little,

“That’s good. I was hoping you would be okay with it.”

Rodolphus looked a little nervous then as he started to say,

“I.. um.. I want to tell you something Bella. Something that my parents don’t know about yet.”

Bellatrix thought she knew what he was going to say, but just faked ignorance anyways,

“Oh, what is it Rodolphus?”

He cleared his throat quietly and shifted in his seat,

“You and I have been friends for many years, so I figured I ought to tell you... I guess I was nervous about what you would say. But you will probably find out eventually so I might as well tell you now. I am not exactly interested in being with a woman Bellatrix.

Bellatrix gave him a reassuring smile,

“Ahhh.. I see, good for you Rodolphus. Why were you so nervous to tell me? Being gay is not frowned upon in the wizarding world?”

He looked relieved then and shrugged,

“We were engaged. I didn’t want to upset you.”

She nodded and smirked as she asked,

“I see. So who is the man that has caught your attention?”

He smiled, seemingly happy that they had reestablished their old dynamic, and responded,

“Well, you remember Severus Snape? He os two years younger than us?”

“Yes, the potions prodigy?”

Rodolphus smiled fondly,

“Yes, thats him. We met in school and have been writing to one another. We are just friends as of now, I haven’t told him that I am interested in him just yet.”

“And why haven’t you told him?”

“Because I do not know if he is interested in men. I would rather not ruin the friendship we have now if I can help it.”

Bellatrix laughed a little,

“Rodolphus, you might as well tell him. I mean if I can end up with The Dark Lord himself, of all people. Surely someone as handsome as you could gain the future potions master’s attention. You might as well take the risk. If it works out you could be very happy with him.”

A determined look came over his face then,

“You know, I think you are right Bella.”

She smirked and teased him,

“I usually am right.”

Rodolphus laughed and they both went back to their meals.

 

* * *

 

**June 22nd 1970, Slytherin Castle**

 

Lord Voldemort was standing in the threshold of the bathroom, with his arms across his chest, watching Bellatrix braid her hair for the day. He couldn’t help but think about how beautiful she was. She was always very beautiful. He couldn’t get enough of her, and he knew he had become addicted to her.

He probably cared about her more than he should, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. She made him happy. He was happier with her now, than he had ever been in his life. She always knew just what to say to him, and how to touch him to ease his worries, or end his frustration. Voldemort used to loath the bond between them. He hated being tied to another person, but that wasn’t the truth anymore. Now he liked being able to tell what she was feeling, or thinking without using Legilimency. He reveled in the feel of her magic caressing his.

Bellatrix turned away from the mirror to look at him, when she noticed he was standing there. She gave him a dazzling smile that took his breath away. He swallowed hard and gave her a smile he only reserved for her,

“Miss Black, would you do the honor of accompanying me for a walk in the gardens.”

She approached him and laced her arm through his as she replied,

“Of course My Lord, the honor is all mine.”

He chuckled, and lead her through the castle, out to the perfectly manicured garden. Today was the first sunny day in nearly two weeks, and he wanted to be outside to enjoy it before he needed to get back to work. They walked in content silence for a while, before he asked,

“How was the meeting with your parents and Rodolphus?”

Bellatrix sighed,

“My parents are worried. Worried that you are using me, and could hurt me. I assured them that wasn’t the case, but they still seemed worried anyways. My mother asked rather inappropriately if they should expect to hear about a marriage proposal from you soon. I told her she was being ridiculous and that of course there wouldn’t be a marriage proposal.”

Voldemort stopped walking then and faced her,

“You are right, I will never marry you. However, you do know I would never hurt you, correct? I do not think I am capable of such a thing, not with you. I can kill in cold blood with ease, but the thought of hurting you almost makes me feel physically ill Bella.”

She gasped a little, and nodded,

“Yes I know you would never hurt me My Lord, just as I cannot hurt you. Besides that, the bond will not allow us to harm one another. But even without the bond, I would rather die a miserable death than ever hurt you.”

He felt an overwhelming swell of emotion for her then, and his eyes burned slightly. The emotion he was feeling was rather uncomfortable, so he started walking again and laced their fingers together, forcing the emotion to dissipate. Bellatrix squeezed his hand, and continued,

“To answer the other part of your question, Rodolphus is doing well. You were right, he is happy the engagement is off. He admitted to me he was rather interested in the young Severus Snape, the future potions master that will soon be starting his seventh year at hogwarts.”

Voldemort chuckled,

“Yes I saw Mr. Snape in Rodolphus’ mind during the Yule ball this last year, where I first danced with you.”

“I remember Snape being rather intelligent and cunning, with a sharp sense of humor. The few times I spoke with him I found him rather amusing. I think he would be a good match for Rodolphus.”

Voldemort just nodded in response to that and continued walking through the hedges towards the center of the garden. This was Bella’s first time going in the garden, and he wanted to show her something.

After several more minutes of walking in silence, enjoying the feel of the sun, and the light breeze flowing through the air, they reached the center of the gardens. Voldemort looked down at Bellatrix, and watched as her eyes lit up in happiness and her jaw dropped. He couldn’t help but smile, he loved getting these reactions out of her.

“My Lord… It’s absolutely beautiful.”

Voldemort looked away from her, and at the scene before him. At the very center of the gardens was a very large, and ancient yew tree, with large twisting limbs that reached out in every direction. To the right of the tree was a pond, with a small waterfall. The water was crystal clear, and served as a home for several red and white koi fish.

Voldemort pulled her over to a bench near the water and sat down. He stared at her as she smiled, and watched the fish swim gracefully through the water. She was so beautiful that he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. Rather impulsively he grabbed her face and kissed her hard. She gasped a little in surprise, but quickly melted into the kiss, and moaned a little into his mouth. He grunted quietly and grabbed her hip so she would straddle him on the bench. She did so without much prompting, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. The kiss morphed from an intense kiss, to a gentle one after a few moments, causing his head to swim. Voldemort ran his hands up and down her back, and trailed his tongue slowly over the roof of her mouth, causing her to shiver slightly.

She pulled away from him, gasping for breath and buried her face in the crook of his neck. He closed his eyes, and wrapped his arms tightly around her, just enjoying the feel of her warm breath on his skin.

“Bella?”

Bellatrix just hummed, obviously not able to form complete sentences just yet. He laughed, and decided to ask her,

“Next week the Rosiers are hosting their annual summer gathering.”

She whispered,

“Yes, I know. I was invited with the rest of the Black family My Lord.”

Voldemort nodded,

“Yes I had assumed that, but instead of going with your family, I would like you to go with me. On my arm.”

He felt her smile against his neck as she replied,

“I would love to go to the gathering with you My Lord. Will you dance with me there?”

He couldn’t help the smile that appeared on his face at the feel of her happiness through the bond.

“Of course I will. Wear your necklace.”

Bella sat up to look at him, and rubbed her hand across the scruff he still hadn’t shaved from his face.

“I wouldn’t even think about going without it My Lord. Do you think you could.. you know… continue to grow out the beard a little?”

Voldemort smirked and raised an eyebrow,

“And why miss black, should I do that?”

Her cheeks flushed pink, and she whispered,

“Of course you should do whatever pleases you My Lord. I just can’t help but feel more attracted to you than ever with the beard.”

He let out a mirthful laugh,

“Is that so? Well maybe I should grow it out a little for the witch I can’t help but adore so much.”

She gave him another one of those smiles that took his breath away, and said truthfully,

“Thank you My Lord. I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your feedback so far with this story! it is greatly appreciated!


	7. Perfect In White

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone ready for fluff? Well here we go! 
> 
> The next chapter will be action packed!

**June 27th 1970, Slytherin Castle**

 

Lord Voldemort was standing in front of the full length mirror in the bathroom straightening his bow tie, and making sure his dress robes were in place. Tonight was the annual Rosier summer gathering, and he had promised them he would be attending. 

He had opted to wear a high collared white outer robe with black colored trim, and an animated black Dark Mark stitched into the back. The robe was clasped together at the waist with a black dark mark clasp. 

Under the robe he wore black tailored trousers, a white dress shirt, a black waistcoat, and a black bow tie with dress shoes. His dress robes had been made of the finest materials available, and were among the most expensive he had ever owned. Overall, they were meant to stand out and intimidate. It wouldn’t hurt to remind his followers at the gathering who was incharge. 

Voldemort turned around when he heard Bellatrix walk into the bathroom. His jaw dropped when he laid his eyes on her. Gorgeous didn’t even begin to describe how beautiful she was. He had asked his personal tailor to design a beautiful gown for her, that would work well with the dress robes Voldemort himself was wearing to the gathering. He decided he would need to send his tailor a rather large tip for his skilled work. 

Bellatrix was wearing a strapless, form fitting, sparkling white gown, with silk black gloves, and her Dark Mark necklace. She had tied her dark hair into a chignon at the nape of her neck, and was wearing dark red lipstick. He stared at her for a very long moment, just appreciating the way the dress hugged all of her curves perfectly. She took his breath away, and he didn’t know if he was capable of forming complete sentences at the moment. 

As Voldemort was staring at her, she stared right back. Her lips parted slightly, and her eyes darkened. 

“You look, incredibly handsome My Lord. The beard suits you. I believe I will be the luckiest woman at the gathering.”

Voldemort had grown out his beard, per Bella’s request. He had trimmed it neatly and cropped it short. He found that he rather liked having it, it looked good on him, and made him more intimidating to his followers. Besides the beard, he had grown out his dark wavy hair a little, which now reached below his ears. Voldemort had combed it straight back into a neat style for tonight. The expensive robes, mixed with his beard, dark hair, and red eyes, made him look every inch The Dark Lord he was. 

Voldemort approached her then, and placed a careful kiss on her lips,

“I do not even begin to compare to you Bella. Now come, I want to show you off.”

She gave him one of those heart stopping smiles, and he wondered how on Earth he was going to be able to take his eyes off of her tonight. He shook his head a little, and held out his arm for her to take. She grabbed on tight and he apparated them both to the Rosier estate. 

When they arrived, Voldemort stood tall and made his face appear cold. Bellatrix shifted her her hold on his arm and he could feel her nervousness, so he asked,

“What is it?” 

She looked down at the ground and murmured,

“I.. I don’t want to embarrass you tonight.”

He used his index finger under her chin to make her look at him.

“Bella, you will not embarrass me. You are intelligent and very beautiful.  Every man at the party tonight is going to want to dance with you. I am glad to have you with me.”

She gave him a small smile and stood with more confidence then. He nodded once and turned to lead her towards the party, which was taking place next to the lake behind the estate. Voldemort placed his free hand behind his back, and walked with supernatural elegance.

As they neared the gathering, Voldemort glanced around, appreciating the decor. The sky was clear tonight, and the stars were shining bright. The Rosiers had placed floating lanterns all over the backyard, there was a drinks table near the house, and a large dance floor set up near the lake. A string quartet was playing a beautiful waltz, and Voldemort had the sudden urge to dance with Bellatrix. He didn’t however, there were people he needed to greet first. 

Everyone turned and bowed to Voldemort, and looked at Bellatrix in surprise when they reached the party. Many of the women were glaring at Bella with jealousy in their expressions, while a large portion of the men were running their eyes up and down her form. Voldemort had to suppress a smirk. Let them all be jealous, he told himself. She was his, and his alone. 

He looked down at Bellatrix and said,

“Let’s go and get a drink before we have to speak to these sycophants.”

She suppressed a smile and nodded,

“Of course My Lord.”

They walked over to the drinks table slowly, his followers parting like the red sea for them, not wanting to upset their master. He could tell Bellatrix was both nervous and enthralled by the whole experience. She felt powerful with him, he knew. But what he liked most about her, was that she wasn’t with him because of his power. She actually appreciated the man that he was underneath The Dark Lord. Voldemort knew that even if he wasn’t a Dark Lord, she would have loved him. That was what made her different from everyone else at the gathering tonight. He had spent most of his life believing it was a weakness to have someone that understood him, but Bellatrix had proved him wrong. She made him happy, and gave him something else to concentrate on besides his goals. Voldemort knew if he focused solely on his cause, he could end up losing himself within it. Bellatrix helped ground him, and remind him what was important. 

“What would you like to drink Bella?”

She glanced at the drinks table, before looking back up at him and saying,

“Champagne would be wonderful My Lord.”

Voldemort nodded, and picked up two glasses of champagne. He handed one to her and said,

“Why don’t you go and speak with your parents for a few minutes, while I greet the Rosiers and compliment them on the gathering? I will come and find you when I am finished.”

“Yes My Lord.”

He took her hand, and lifted it to his lips, kissing her knuckles lightly before turning and walking over to Evan and Turia Rosier,

 

 

* * *

 

Bellatrix watched as her Lord walked away from her, admiring how handsome he looked in his dress robes. She smiled a little, and thanked whatever gods existed for bonding her with him. 

She glanced around for her parents, and noticed they were standing near the dance floor, talking to each other. She made her way over to them, and they each smiled at her. Her father kissed her knuckles and said,

“You look beautiful darling. I see that you are attending with The Dark Lord tonight?”

Bellatrix smiled and explained,

“Yes, he asked me to join him tonight. You look very handsome yourself father.”

Cygnus grinned,

“Thank you dear, but your mother here will always outshine me.”

Druella swatted his arm playfully and blushed. Bellatrix laughed,

“He is right, you do look beautiful mother.”

Druella smiled at her oldest daughter and looked at the dress Bellatrix was wearing,

“That dress is stunning dear, where did you purchase it?”

Bellatrix blushed a little then,

“Actually I didn’t buy it. The Dark Lord had his personal tailor make it for me, along with the dress robes he is wearing tonight. His tailor does excellent work.”

Druella raised an eyebrow, and glanced at the dress again, and looked over to where The Dark Lord was standing with the Rosiers,

“Well you are certainly right about that. That tailor did an excellent job. You may have to get me his name darling.”

Bellatrix gave her mother a smile,

“I will see what I can do mother.”

Her father cleared his throat to get her attention and held out his hand,

“Would you do me the honor of a dance?”

“Of course father.”

Bellatrix took his hand and let him lead her out onto the dance floor. A slow waltz started to play, and they began to move gracefully to the music. Cygnus frowned at her a little so she asked,

“What is it father?”

He just shook his head,

“You look different now, I can’t quite place why. You look like you have grown up I suppose. Are you happy darling?”

Bellatrix nodded and gave him a bright smile,

“Yes I am very happy, I promise.”

Cygnus’ frown disappeared then, and he glanced behind her as he said,

“I can see it in your eyes that you truly are happy. You were telling us the truth weren’t you, when you said The Dark Lord treats you well?”

“I was telling you the truth, I promise.”

Her father gave her a small smile,

“He keeps looking over here you know, he can’t seem to take his eyes off of you.”

Bellatrix blushed, causing Cygnus to chuckle,

“I can see that you are in love with him dear. As long as he treats you well and you are happy, I am happy for you.”

She gave him another happy smile, she had been the one to get in trouble when she was younger, but her father always stuck up for her. They had always been close, so his approval was meaningful.

“Thank you father.”

He smiled back, and pulled away from her as the dance ended. He kissed her knuckles once again and said,

“Thank you for the dance dear, I believe I am going to dance with your mother next.”

Bellatrix just nodded and started walking off the dance floor with him, but someone grabbed her arm and spun her around. Bellatrix frowned deeply when she realized it was Ares Yaxley. He put his hands on her and said,

“Just one dance Bella? Please? You look very beautiful tonight, I can’t take my eyes off of you.”

He ran his eyes up and down her form then, making her feel very uncomfortable. His hands felt disgusting on her as she said seriously,

“Mr. Yaxley, I have no desire to dance with you, so please remove your hands from me, and do not call me Bella.”

Ares frowned, but did not remove his hands,

“Aw, please? Just one dance.”

Bellatrix was about to refuse again, but instead just sighed in relief when Lord Voldemort appeared behind the boy and put his hand on his shoulder.

 

 

* * *

 

Lord Voldemort had been in the middle of a conversation with the Rosier’s about politics when he noticed that Bellatrix had finished dancing with her father. He excused himself from the conversation so that he could dance with her, but then noticed Ares Yaxley grab her and put his hands on her.

Voldemort instantly became furious and made his way towards them. He could feel how uncomfortable and violated Bellatrix felt through the bond and quickened his pace. His magic was whipping around him like a deadly storm, and he knew the people around him could feel it. His followers looked at him with worried expressions on their faces, and moved out of his way, not wanting to take the brunt of his anger. He just ignored them and walked until he was standing right behind Ares. 

Voldemort placed his hand on the boys shoulder and squeezed hard. Bellatrix looked very relieved to see him, but he could only look at the boy in front of him at the moment. Yaxley flinched in pain and spun around, starting to say,

“Hey what do you think you are…. My Lord. How may I serve you?”

Yaxley paled when he noticed how The Dark Lord was glaring at him. Voldemort towered over the boy as he spoke quietly,

“Just who do you think you are Mr Yaxley, to put your hands on her in such a way.”

Yaxley looked like he wanted run far away as he stuttered,

“M-My Lord. I was just asking Bella to dance.”

Voldemort narrowed his eyes dangerously,

“I do believe I heard her ask you to remove your hands, and not call her ‘Bella’, am I correct?”

The boy seemed like he was trying to make himself as small as possible as he whispered,

“You are correct My Lord.”

He became even more angry and hissed,

“And yet, you did not do asss she asssked. Did you not notice Yaxley, that Bella came to this gathering on my arm? Are you that dull that you didn’t realize she is mine?”

Yaxley started to say something but Voldemort just cut him off,

“Don’t bother making excuses boy. You knew she was with me, but you wanted her for yourself. I see it all in your mind… Allow me to make something abundantly clear to you. The only reason you aren’t lying dead on the floor right now, is because some of your family members are rather important to my cause. Don’t ever try to speak to Bella, or touch her again. Don’t even look at her, I will know if you do. If you disobey these orders in anyway, I will kill you. You have already disrespected me once, this is your only warning. She is MINE. Now leave this party and do not come back.” 

The boy was shaking visibly as he walked quickly away from the pair. Voldemort watched him go until he was out of sight and then looked down at Bella. He softened his face for her and asked,

“Are you alright?”

She stepped closer to him,

“Yes I am alright My Lord, thank you very much. His hands felt rather disgusting on me.”

He cupped her jaw in his hand, 

“You are mine aren’t you?”

Bellatrix nodded,

“Yes My Lord. I am yours, only yours. That will never change.”

Voldemort sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, forcing himself to forget his anger so he could enjoy the rest of the night with her. After he had centered himself, he opened them and looked at Bellatrix. He saw love in her gaze as she looked at him, and that made his chest clench uncomfortably. 

“Dance with me Bella.”

He wrapped his arms around her, and heard her sigh in relief. She smiled at him and said,

“Your arms feel perfect around me My Lord.”

He didn’t respond, instead he just stared at her for awhile, feeling himself go a little hard in his trousers because of how beautiful she was. Her dark eyes were mesmerizing, and he wanted nothing more than to kiss her. But no, he wouldn’t allow himself to do that. Kissing was a very human act, and it was better if his followers thought he was something more than human.

Bellatrix glanced around them and smirked a little. He raised his eyebrow, so she explained,

“Most of the women here look like they want to murder me right now for dancing with you.”

He chuckled under his breath,

“Well that is too bad for them. I am only interested in one witch at this party. Besides, most of the men here can’t take their eyes off of you.”

Bella gave him a smile as she said honestly,

“Well that is too bad for them. There is one wizard here that has my full attention.”

He decided to tease her a little then,

“Oh.. is that so? And what wizard might that be?”

She smirked and spoke quietly,

“Well, he is very hard to miss. He is tall, intelligent, funny, and very handsome. I love him dearly, and can’t help but go a little wet every time I lay my eyes on him.”

After hearing those words Voldemort’s jaw dropped slightly, and he went absolutely rigid in his trousers. He closed his eyes, trying to calm himself, but he felt her arousal through the bond and knew it was no use. Thankfully his robes hid his erection.

He opened his eyes and stared into hers as he said,

“I want you Bella. Now. But we cannot leave yet, we haven’t been here for very long.”

She looked over her shoulder to the estate house, and whispered slyly,

“We used to come here as children My Lord, I happen to know where several unused bedrooms are…”

Voldemort smirked and stopped dancing then. He laced his fingers through hers and made his way towards the house. Trying to make himself appear calm, when in reality he was eager to get her out of that form fitting dress. Several of his followers watched him take her into the house, probably guessing what they were about to do, but he paid them no mind. 

Bellatrix lead them up the stairs and to the left. Once they had passed several doors, she stopped and opened one, pulling him inside with her. 

Voldemort cast silencing and privacy wards on the room before turning to face her. She looked a little nervous as she said, 

“I want to try something.”

He raised his eyebrows in surprise as she walked up to him, and started pushing him carefully back towards the bed. He decided to go with it, curious about what she would do. Voldemort took a sharp breath when she pushed him down onto the bed. He laid there silently, his legs dangling off the edge of the bed, feeling the intense arousal flow through his veins. 

She walked towards him slowly, and moved to stand between his knees. She moved his robes aside, before unbuckling his belt, and unbuttoning his trousers. He decided he liked that she had taken control this time. Normally he was always the one in control when they had sex. 

Voldemort gasped as she pulled out his achingly hard cock. Her fingers felt miraculous on him, but he quickly realized Bella wasn’t planning on using her hands to pleasure him. 

His eyes widened comically as she licked her delicious lips, and lowered her mouth to him. He moaned loudly as her mouth closed around his tip and suckled him there carefully. 

He propped himself up on his forearms, wanting to watch her as she pleasured him. His chest was heaving as she pulled him deeper into her mouth and dragged her tongue around his length. She started to move her mouth back and forth slowly, following her movements with her hand. She sucked lightly as she pulled her mouth back and caressed his tip with her tongue. Voldemort held himself up for awhile, until his arms started shaking so badly he was forced to lay back down on the bed. He wrenched his eyes shut, and clenched his fingers on the blankets, desperate for something to hold onto. 

Bellatrix pulled him as far into her mouth as she could without getting sick, and hummed. 

Now The Dark Lord prided himself on control, control of everything, including his mind and body. But just now, Bellatrix took that control and ripped it to shreds. She was sending full body shudders through him, and his heart felt like it was going to beat right out of his chest. He gasped and moaned her name over and over. 

Finally, she squeezed his length slightly with her hand, and hummed again as she swirled her tongue all around him. Voldemort came with the force of an explosion before he even knew what was happening. His climax seemed to go on forever, and he growled like a wild animal as his seed shot down her throat. He somehow managed to open his eyes, and watched as she drank him all down. He moaned again, utterly overcome by her, when Bella pulled her mouth off of him, and licked her lips. 

Voldemort released his death grip on the blankets and closed his eyes. His head was spinning madly, and he was breathing heavily, desperately trying to catch his breath. He felt Bellatrix tuck his cock back into his trousers, before buttoning them, and fixing his belt. She sat down beside him on the bed, waiting for him to recover. He kept his eyes closed for a long while, wholly unable to speak. 

Eventually his breathing slowed, and he opened his eyes to look at her,

“Are you sure you have never done that before?”

She laughed quietly,

“No My Lord, that was my first time. Although, I did hear about some techniques from a few of my friends when I was still in school.” 

He raised an eyebrow,

“Did you now? Well maybe you should thank them for me.”

She smiled then and asked,

“So you liked it then?”

He smirked,

“I believe that was the understatement of the century Bella. Do you want me to…?”

Bellatrix just shook her head,

“No. I am fine. I believe I enjoyed that just as much as you did.”

Voldemort scoffed, and sent a wandless cleansing charm to her mouth so he could kiss her. He pulled her down until she was laying ontop of him and spent the next few minutes kissing her thoroughly. 

After a while she pulled back, panting a little as she said

“Good thing I charmed my lipstick not to rub off.” 

He couldn’t help but laugh then,

“Yes Bella, good thing. We should go back out there before everyone starts wondering where we have gone.”

She nodded and got off of him carefully in her dress. Voldemort followed her, noticing his arms were still shaking slightly. Bellatrix saw this and smirked,

“Maybe I will have to do that more often My Lord.”

He chuckled and gave her a suggestive look,

“Oh yes Bella, this is going to be a frequent occurrence from now on.”

She just laughed and helped him straighten out his hair and robes, before smoothing out her dress. Voldemort held his arm out to her, which she took, and together they made their way back out to the party. 

Voldemort took a deep breath when they stepped outside, savouring the cool air. He hadn’t realized how hot he was because of his and Bellatrix’s… activities. He lead her to the drinks table and drank an entire glass of water, before picking up two glasses of champagne and handing one to Bellatrix. 

They spent the next hour making their way through the guests, greeting them, and exchanging pleasantries. They discussed politics with the Malfoys, Dumbledore’s idiocracy with the elder Yaxleys, and ministry positions with the Notts. It was all very tedious, so when Evan Rosier announced that it was time for the fireworks, Voldemort sighed in relief. He lead Bellatrix over to an empty table and pulled out her chair for her before sitting down beside her. He could tell she was a little cold, so he moved his chair closer to hers and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She sent him a thankful look, before facing the water to watch the fireworks. Cygnus and Druella Black approached their table while they were waiting. Cygnus bowed and asked,

“My Lord, we were wondering if it would be acceptable for us to join you?”

Voldemort nodded,

“Of course Cygnus, that would be fine.”

Bellatrix smiled at her parents, who sat down on her other side. The Rosier’s began launching the fireworks off of a boat on the lake. The show itself was quite impressive he had to admit, but he didn’t have eyes for the fireworks. He couldn’t stop staring at Bellatrix, and the way her face would light up every time a shower of sparks would explode into the sky. She was so beautiful it made his chest ache. Voldemort knew he probably cared too much for her, but he couldn’t bring himself to be angry about it. She was perfect, and she was his. 

Rather impulsively, he cupped her jaw with his free hand and kissed her gently. She was surprised he had kissed her in public he knew, but she started kissing him back just as gently, and he moved his hand to her hip. Voldemort had told himself he wasn’t going to display his affection for her in front of his followers, but he couldn’t help himself just now. At least he managed not to deepen the kiss, and kept it short he told himself. Once the kiss had been broken, he touched his forehead to her’s, and she stroked his jaw lightly. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Cygnus and Druella smile at them before looking back at the fireworks, knowing not to stare at their Lord. 

Voldemort knew they had disapproved of him seeing Bellatrix at first, not that it mattered to him. He was The Dark Lord, he could do as he pleased, and no one could say a thing about it. But he could tell that now, after seeing how he acted with her, they approved. He knew Bella was close to her father, so she would appreciate his approval. Voldemort just closed his eyes and sighed, wondering what he had gotten himself into with Bellatrix Black. He felt her stroke his jaw more firmly, and heard Bella whisper against his lips,

“I love you My Lord.”

He just nodded and placed one last firm kiss on her lips before pulling away and turning to watch the fireworks show. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So who here thinks he is in love with her, but in denial about it? Hmm... next chapter is very action packed for those of you that don't like the emotional stuff. Thanks for reading!


	8. Gone

**July 17th 1970, Slytherin Castle Library**

 

Voldemort was lying on the couch in the library, with his head in Bella’s lap, as he so often did after a long day. He sighed contently and closed his eyes as she threaded her fingers into his hair, and massaged his scalp. He allowed himself to relax completely, something he would never do around anyone else.

For most of his life he loathed human touch. He had always kept his distance from those near him so that they wouldn’t accidentally brush against him. Even the mere thought of someone touching him made him shudder with disgust. But here he was now, letting Bellatrix touch him.

She was different from everyone else. Voldemort craved her touch, it was comforting and calming. She had awoken something within him that he had buried long ago. It was all still very new and confusing to him, but Bella made him happy, so he decided to break down some of his walls for her.

“My Lord?”

He hummed in response, and she asked,

“I was wondering if you would tell me more about what your life was like when you were younger? You have told me some things about your life after you left Hogwarts, but I know little about what happened before that.”

Voldemort tensed. This wasn’t a topic that he liked to think about, much less talk about. Bellatrix noticed his change in demeanor immediately, and said,

“Of course you do not need to tell me anything if you do not wish to. I was just curious My Lord.”

He sighed deeply, contemplating if he should tell her anything. They had gotten to know each other quite well over the past few months. Bella knew about most of the traveling he had done after Hogwarts. How Voldemort had met ancient vampires in Romania, practiced necromancy in India, and practiced highly advanced Dark magic with a hidden tribe in the Siberian forests. He knew much about her childhood, and her Hogwarts years as well. How she spent hours hidden in the back of the library there, and often took long walks on the grounds to avoid the other students. He knew that as often as she could get away with it, she would sneak out of the castle at night to go sit near the Black Lake and look at the stars.

They had grown very familiar with each other, probably too familiar, but Voldemort couldn’t bring himself to care anymore. He trusted her completely.

“My childhood wasn’t a good one Bella.”

He shivered then, thinking about the years spent in the orphanage. The years of abuse.

Bellatrix noticed his shiver and bent to kiss him once gently. The brush of her lips against his calmed him slightly, and he closed his eyes as she started to say,

“You don’t have to tell me anything. But just keep in mind that I know who you are now. You are the most powerful wizard in the world. You are above everyone else, including me. I love you, and knowing about your past isn’t going to change how I see you now. I promise you that.”

Voldemort felt an uncomfortable clench in his chest that had become more and more common over the past month. He had ignored it so far, not wanting to examine whatever emotion it was.

He sighed deeply once more, realizing what she said was true. She was completely his, and devoted to him to the marrow of her bones. Nothing would ever tarnish her perception of him, but still, he was unsure.

“I don’t know Bella. It isn’t something I have ever discussed with anyone. But I suppose there is a first time for everything.”

He paused then, wondering if he should tell her anything. But then, perhaps it might feel good to tell her. He opened his eyes then and looked at her. Her face was filled with love for him. She was both beautiful, and comforting. He closed his eyes again, not wanting to see her reactions to the story he was about to tell.

He swallowed hard and began speaking,

“I did not grow up with the lavish lifestyle I have now Bellatrix. I grew up in a muggle orphanage. I had nothing, and no one. I began displaying signs of accidental magic when I was very young, about four years old. The muggle children thought I was a freak for what I could do, so they targeted me, and beat me because I was different. I was too young, and didn’t yet have control of my magic, so I couldn’t protect myself from them. There were always too many of them, I couldn’t escape. Thankfully my magic helped me heal quickly from my injuries. It wasn’t until I was about eight years old that I finally had enough control of my wandless magic to fight them off and protect myself. I actually killed one of the children, and they were too afraid to come near me after that. I forced a boy into a coma, and he died a week later. Obviously, the muggle adults that were suppose to care for us at the orphanage couldn’t prove that I was the one responsible, but they believed I did it anyways.  Do you know what  an exorcism is Bella?”

He heard her gasp a little, and murmur quietly,

“Yes, I read about them once.”

Voldemort nodded and continued,

“They performed multiple exorcisms on me, trying to get rid of the ‘demon’ within me that they thought was making me evil, and giving me my magic. Obviously none of them worked, so they resorted to… other methods. Beating me, starving me, leaving me outside in the winter. I wasn’t able to protect myself from them until I was 15 years old. We couldn’t use our wands outside of Hogwarts without getting expelled, and my wandless magic wasn’t strong enough yet to fight off seven strong adults. Hogwarts was my refuge from the abuse, and every summer I begged Dumbledore to let me stay there. But ever since he learned I was a Parselmouth, he didn’t trust me, so he forced me to return to the Orphanage every summer. Finally when I was 15, they threatened to kill me with a knife. I was desperate, so my magic lashed out, and injured every one of them. The abuse stopped after that.”

He kept his eyes shut, not wanting to see her face, and ground his teeth together then, irritated with how vulnerable he was feeling. He had been weak when he was young, he should have been able to stop them. He was a bloody Dark Lord. Dark Lords didn’t feel vulnerable. He thought he had crushed all of these emotions long ago, he didn’t need them. Besides, this all happened many years ago, he should be over it by now.

Bellatrix ran her fingers through his hair soothingly, and placed her other hand on his clenched jaw. He couldn’t help the way he relaxed into her touch, she was comforting in all the right ways. He listened carefully as she said,

“I can feel what you are thinking right now My Lord. You think you were weak, but I disagree. I believe that most children wouldn’t have been capable of fighting off that many adults. If anything, this makes you even more impressive and strong in my eyes. You grew up with nothing, and you had no one, but look what you turned yourself into. You are now the most powerful man alive, and you have a whole army to serve you. You built this from nothing, and eventually you will become the leader of a nation. I don’t believe there is anyone else alive who could have accomplished what you have.”

He felt an uncomfortable amount of emotion for her then, and he opened his eyes. He saw nothing but awe and admiration in her gaze, and knew that she meant what she said. She stroked his bearded jaw, and bent to kiss him gently once more. He melted into the kiss, and felt all of his vulnerability and uncertainty disappear. How was it that Bellatrix always knew what to say to him?

Voldemort began to deepen the kiss, but pulled away and hissed as he felt his Dark mark burn. Someone was calling him, which meant something important had happened.

He stood, while quickly summoning their Death Eater robes from their bedroom, and they both changed into them. Once they were both ready, Bellatrix grabbed his arm, and Voldemort apparated them to Malfoy Manor.

They walked quickly through the halls of the Manor, and walked side by side into the Dark Order’s conference room. Most of the Inner Circle were all standing around a piece of paper that had been laid out on the table. Voldemort glared at them and barked,

“You summoned me through my mark so this better be important. What is it?”

They looked at him with fear for a moment, before Abraxas stepped forward and said,

“My Lord, one of the lower level Death Eaters just reported to us that he overheard some known members of the Order of the Phoenix talking about their current base of operations in an empty alleyway tonight. The Order has been using an abandoned house outside of Exeter as their base for about a month now, we figured we should inform you as soon as possible Master. We are sorry for disturbing you.”

Voldemort nodded and replied,

“You were right to call me Abraxas. However, this could be risky. We do not know if the Order is trying to lead us into a trap by giving us that location.”

Bellatrix touched his arm then, getting his attention and suggested,

“My Lord, you are right, this could be an ambush. But it’s not an ambush if we are fully prepared for that possibility, now is it?”

Voldemort smirked and asked,

“And what exactly do you have in mind Bella?”

Her face hardened then, making her look very dangerous and beautiful as she explained,

“It is my humble opinion My Lord, that you should send a group of Death Eaters to the house, a group of maybe 10 or 15, and have a larger group of Death Eaters waiting nearby. The Order will then focus all of their attentions on the first group and try to surround them. Then while Dumbledore's people are distracted by the first group, our second group of Death Eaters could sneak up behind them, thus trapping them instead. I believe this opportunity is too good to pass up Master. We could possibly eliminate many of our enemies.”

Voldemort’s smirk grew more wicked. She was so calculating, intelligent, and dangerous. He nodded at her and turned to the rest of his Inner Circle.

“I believe Bella is right. Abraxas, gather a group of skilled lower level Death Eaters. They will be part of the first group. I will lead the second group, which will be made up of the Inner Circle, in addition to 15 more lower level Death Eaters. Altogether we will have around 50 soldiers. That should be more than enough to handle whatever they decide to throw at us. Our goal is to kill, and capture as many Order members as we can. Those that we capture can be tortured for information. Now everyone go, prepare the groups, inform the other Death Eaters of the plan. I want everyone back here in 15 minutes.”

The Inner Circle all bowed to him, and looked at Bellatrix with surprised expressions. They hadn’t expected their lord to listen to her, he knew. He couldn’t make himself care about what they thought however. They were meaningless. Bellatrix was the only one who actually meant something to Voldemort.

Bella stayed with him in the Conference room, and they waited together in silence. He thought back to the conversation they had had just before his Dark Mark burned. He decided he felt better now that he had spoken to her about his childhood. It was as if a weight had lifted off of his shoulders. She didn’t think he was weak for what he went through, she thought the opposite. Voldemort was more than a little glad then that she was his.

Over the next few minutes, the Death Eaters filtered back into the room, and once everyone had arrived, they apparated well outside of the city of Exeter. They all appeared on a hill about half of a mile away from the house itself. The house was made of brick, and was fairly large, but looked run down, as if it hadn’t been used in awhile.

Voldemort motioned for the first group to raid the house, and watched as they apparated to the edge of the property.  They moved slowly, looking out for an ambush, or any other traps that may have been set. He watched as the group split into two, and made their way to the North and South sides of the house. Just before they reached the doors, there were loud apparition cracks. His Death Eaters were surrounded by what looked to be about 30 Order members, and aurors. The first group immediately began dueling the Light witches and wizards in an intense battle.Voldemort waited for a minute, to make sure no other Light soldiers were going to appear, and motioned for the second group to apparate to the battlefield.

Voldemort appeared first and killed two aurors who had their backs to him. The rest of his Death Eaters appeared behind him, and began initiating duels with the Light soldiers. The Light side was outnumbered, but they still battled fiercely.

The Battlefield was complete chaos, spells of every color were flying in every direction, and the ground slowly became covered with blood from both sides. An auror attempted to engage him in a duel, Voldemort was much too quick for the young man. Voldemort _Stupefied_ him for interrogation later on. The Dark Order needed as much information as possible for the future.

Voldemort managed to _Stupefy_ two higher level Order members, but then heard loud apparition cracks behind him. He spun around, and barely dodged a spell sent by Dumbledore. Voldemort sneered at Dumbledore, and began sending the most gruesome spells he knew towards the man,

_“Oculi Praemium. Excorio Pellis. Acidum Sanguis.”_

Dumbledore managed to block the first two, and dodge the last one. For being as old as he was, Voldemort had to admit, the man was quick on his feet. Voldemort laughed when Dumbledore only sent a simple _Stupefy_ and blasting curse his way. Voldemort just used a mild shield to block them before casting Dark spells in quick succession, and spinning to avoid the other spells Dumbledore was sending his way,

_“Infervesco Sanguis. Cor Meum Displodo. Pellis Combustio!”_

Voldemort cast the last curse- the skin burning curse- with three times more power than he normally would have, and his tactic worked. Dumbledore dodged the first spell, and put up a shield for the last two. His shield held for the second spell, but broke when the overpowered third spell hit it.

Dumbledore groaned loudly as the skin burning curse immediately burned away the left sleeve of his robes, and blackened the skin there. The curse was usually worked well when wanting to  incapacitate your opponent because of the massive amount of pain it caused them. Dumbledore however, just clutched his arm to his chest and continued dueling. His ability to move quickly decreased drastically because of the injury, and he was forced to use more powerful shields against Voldemort's intense offencive attacks.

All of the sudden Dumbledore yelled out,

“Find her now!!”

Voldemort’s heart skipped a beat and panic began to flow through his veins.

Bellatrix.

Dumbledore must have learned about his involvement with her. This ambush had been set up so that Dumbledore could take her, use her against him, and interrogate her. He needed to find Bella. Voldemort used the precious few seconds between spells to glance around the battlefield for her. Eventually he spotted her on the far left side of the property. The Order members had her surrounded, and were wearing her down quickly. She was doing a magnificent job holding them off, but even someone as strong as Bellatrix couldn’t hold off against eight Order members for very long.

Voldemort yelled as she was hit by a stunning curse,

“BELLA!!”

Voldemort felt intense fear run through him, something he almost never felt. He needed her. She was his.

Dumbledore saw her go down and bellowed out,

“RETREAT!”

Voldemort watched as Moody smirked at him, before apparating away with Bellatrix, along with the rest of the Light soldiers. Voldemort was powerless to stop him.

Voldemort fell to his knees and yelled once again,

“NO!”

As he yelled, a large burst of magic exploded out of him, knocking all of his Death Eaters off of their feet.

He couldn’t think straight, and his eyes burned. All he could think about was that he needed her back. She was his, and she meant everything to him. The idea of living without her was unbearable.

It was then that Voldemort realized he was in love with her.

He had been in love with her for some time.

He could try to tell himself everyday that he wasn’t in love with her, but he would just be lying to himself. The emotion filled him just now, mixed with overwhelming grief.

Voldemort stayed on his knees for a long time with his eyes closed. Completely unable to move.

Abraxas and Rodolphus approached him cautiously. Rodolphus stopped walking once he was several feet away from him and said quietly,

“My Lord, we will get her back. We have about seven _Stupefied_ prisoners we can interrogate to find out where they took her.”

Voldemort kept his eyes closed and replied in a cracked voice,

“Do it. Find her. Go.”

His Death Eaters apparated back to Malfoy Manor with the prisoners, but Voldemort stayed where he was. He forced himself to calm down and control his emotions. There was no way he could save her if he didn’t concentrate.

Voldemort's breathing slowed, and his face hardened with determination. Dumbledore was going to regret this day for the rest of his life.

 

* * *

 

Bellatrix opened her eyes slowly, confused about where she was, before it all came crashing back to her. She had lost.

The Order of the Phoenix had captured her, and she had failed the man she loved in battle. She should have fought harder.

Bellatrix was suddenly very glad that Voldemort had taught her Occlumency over the past two months. Dumbledore was a Legilimens just like Lord Voldemort, and she couldn’t risk him seeing her memories. Bellatrix would endure years of torture before she ever betrayed her lord.

She tried to reach out to him through her mind connection then,

_My Lord, can you hear me?_

She felt a burst of relief from him as he replied,

_Bella thank Merlin, please tell me you know where you are?_

Bellatrix looked around, hoping for anything that could tell her where she was being held, but saw nothing. She was bound to the wall, with her hands chained above her head, and her feet chained to the floor. The room itself was fairly small, with only one small table and a chair. The only light within the room was coming from a dim candle sitting on the table.

_No My Lord, I am chained to the wall in a small room, there is barely any light._

Her eyes brimmed with tears as she added,

_I am so sorry for failing you, I should have fought harder. I am so sorry. I won't tell them anything, I promise._

She felt a wave of grief come from him then as he replied quickly,

_No Bella please. You fought harder than anyone else on the battlefield today. You were excellent and I am very proud of you. We are interrogating prisoners now to try and find you. I will tell you if we learn anything. Stay strong for me, I will find you._

Bellatrix felt the tears boil over and flow down her face. She sent him every ounce of love she felt for him, and felt his grief increase tenfold.

She looked to her left as she heard the only door to the room open. Albus Dumbledore and Alastor Moody entered the room together. Dumbledore’s eyes were twinkling happily, and Moody was smirking maliciously. Bellatrix felt Voldemort's panic through the bond, and did her best to block him from her mind using Occlumency. She didn’t want him to see whatever they were about to do to her. He needed to concentrate on gaining information.

The two men walked over to her then, and stood in front of her. Dumbledore gave her a sad and disappointed look, the one he had used on her when she was a student and said,

“Miss Black, I am terribly sorry we are meeting under such circumstances. But I am afraid I must do whatever is necessary to beat Voldemort. You could be a great help to us by telling us everything you know. Come to the Light side dear. Lord Voldemort is an insane murderer, and he is unfit to lead. Make the good moral choice here Miss Black.”

Bellatrix sneered at the man, wishing she had her wand to kill him right now.

“I will never betray him. Nothing you could ever say to me could convince me to betray him.”

Dumbledore shook his head sadly,

“I apologize for what I have to do then my dear.”

He pointed his wand at her and murmured,

_“Legilimens.”_

She strengthened her shields as much as she possibly could, and felt a massive pressure in her skull. The pressure grew as he pushed harder. Eventually she thought her brain was going to explode, and he stopped.

“Those are impressive shields Miss Black I admit. Voldemort must have taught you himself. If I push much harder, I will break your mind, and lucky for you, we need your mind just now. Allow me to apologize ahead of time for what Alastor is about to do. It’s for the greater good, you understand.”

Bellatrix sneered at the man once more, but he ignored her. Dumbledore turned to Moody and said,

“Do whatever it takes. We need all of the information we can get. She is the only one who is close to him.”

Moody nodded, and gave Bellatrix a vicious smile. She couldn’t help the shiver that ran up her spine. She only hoped her lord would find her soon.

Dumbledore left the room then, and Moody pointed his wand at her and muttered

_“Crucio.”_

 

* * *

 

Voldemort’s breath was stolen from him as he entered a prisoner's cell. He was in pain, as if someone was casting a mild _Cruciatus_ curse on him. His nerves felt as if they were on fire, and he had to bite his tongue to prevent himself from making a sound. He closed his eyes momentarily, and forced himself to ignore the pain.

It was the bond he knew. They were torturing her, and if he was in this much pain through the bond, he couldn’t even imagine how much pain Bella was in. That fact made him want to tear down every house in Britain to find her.

Voldemort took a deep breath and faced the prisoner sitting in front of him. Benjy Fenwick. A higher ranking member of the Order of the Phoenix. He was their best chance of finding Bellatrix.

“Well Mr. Fenwick. This is going to be rather simple. You answer my questions and I won't torture you, am I understood?”

Fenwick spat in his direction and sneered,

“I will never tell you anything you monster. She is going to get what she rightfully deserves, and then she is going to spill all of your secrets.”

Voldemort didn’t even respond. He was seething with anger, and he was being hit with another wave of the _Cruciatus_ through the bond. He pointed his wand at Fenwick and spat,

_“Crucio.”_

Fenwick let out a bloodcurdling scream and thrashed on the floor. Voldemort released the curse after a minute, and asked,

“Where is she?”

“Go to hell!”

He cast the spell once again. He pushed more magic into the spell, and the screams grew louder. He held it for a full minute again before he asked

“Where is she Fenwick.”

Fenwick didn’t say anything this time, he just laid on the floor panting. Voldemort cast the spell again, using the same amount of power. If he added anymore, he would drive the man insane. He cast the spell over and over for the next hour, fighting off the pain of the Cruciatus, and what felt like hot knife cutting through the skin on his stomach, arms, and legs. He listened to the man's screams again, and started growing impatient.

Voldemort released the spell when he felt a sharp pain shoot through his leg. He couldn’t help but wince that time. He bit his tongue hard, and realized someone was starting to break her bones.

He left the cell then, and barked at Abraxas who was standing at the end of the dungeon corridor.

“Abraxas! Bring me Susan and Charles Fenwick.”

Voldemort had kept them alive to use as hostages if necessary. They were Benjy Fenwick’s sister and brother in law he knew. He walked back into the dark cell, and saw that Fenwick was looking at him with wide, terrified eyes.

Voldemort closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing, as it felt like someone was rubbing salt into wounds that weren’t really there. His skin felt like it was on fire, and his nerves were screaming. It took everything he had to hide the pain.

Voldemort felt completely helpless, a feeling he loathed. The woman he loved was suffering in a cell somewhere, and there was nothing he could do until he found her location.

Abraxas and Rodolphus walked into the cell then with the prisoners he had asked for. They threw them onto the floor, and looked to their Master for instruction.

Voldemort leaned against the wall then as he was hit with even more pain. Someone was carving into Bellatrix’s back with a knife.

His eyes burned. He always wanted to protect her, and to keep her safe, but he was failing miserably.

He forced himself to look at Abraxas and Rodolphus. Voldemort knew he probably looked terrible. But he ignored that and ordered,

“Torture them.”

The two men nodded and cast the _Cruciatus_ curse on the two prisoners. Benjy Fenwick looked miserable then, watching two people he loved be tortured. Emotions were battling within him. The desire to protect his family, and the desire to win the war.

Eventually, after several minutes, his desire to save his family won, and he yelled out,

“OKAY!! Okay I will tell you where she is! Just stop hurting them please!”

Voldemort’s face became cold as ice as he sneered,

“Tell me. Now.”

  
  
  



	9. Admission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured I couldn't leave you guys with the cliffhanger for too long, so here you go! I hope you enjoy it!

**_Previously:_ **

 

“Torture them.”

The two men nodded and cast the  _ Cruciatus _ curse on the two prisoners. Benjy Fenwick looked miserable then, watching two people he loved be tortured. Emotions were battling within him. The desire to protect his family, and the desire to win the war. 

Eventually, after several minutes, his desire to save his family won, and he yelled out,

“OKAY!! Okay I will tell you where she is! Just stop hurting them please!”

Voldemort’s face became cold as ice as he sneered,

“Tell me. Now.”

 

* * *

**July 17th 1970, Malfoy Manor Dungeons**

 

“Dumbledore took her to one of the Orders safe houses just outside of York! It is located North of the city.The Order created prison cells in the basement for anyone they were able to capture during the battle tonight! Please don't hurt them anymore!”

Voldemort picked the man up by his shirt and threw him against the wall. He his other hand went to the man's throat and squeezed just enough to make breathing difficult. 

“Keep in mind Fenwick, that if you are lying to me, I will make your family members suffer every day for a year. They will know nothing except pain, and it will be all your fault.”  

He dropped Fenwick on the floor then, and watched as the man gasped for breath. He shook his head and assured Voldemort,

“I am not lying. I swear. Please.”

Voldemort turned to his followers and barked,

“Tell everyone who was at the battle tonight to meet in the Conference room upstairs. Bring him with you. We need him to show us the safe house.”

Voldemort glided from the room then, and walked up the dungeon stairs to the Conference room. He sat down in his chair at the head of the table and closed his eyes, still fighting off the pain of her torture. He reached out to Bellatrix through the bond and said,

_ We found where the order is keeping you Bella, we will be coming soon, stay strong for me.  _

He felt a weak pulse of love come from her, and knew that she had heard him. 

Voldemort kept his eyes closed for a long while, doing his best to stay calm and fight through the throbbing pain on his back. 

Eventually he heard the doors to the Conference room open, so he opened his eyes. His Death Eaters surrounded the table, and looked at him for instruction. They were tired he knew, but this couldn't wait. 

He stood from his chair, and clasped his hands behind his back. He began pacing back and forth as he said,

“We have found the location of the safe house being used by the Order to house their prisoners. The safe house is located North of the city of York. Benjy Fenwick is going to show us the exact location once we are outside of the city. We are going there tonight to retrieve our people. We will be spitting up into teams. The first team will be made up of Rodolphus, Abraxas, Corban Yaxley, Dolohov, and myself. Our goal is to find the basement and retrieve our soldiers. Rabastan, and Rookwood, you will both split up the remaining Death Eaters into two teams. You will lead your teams to the house’s entrances, and act as a distraction. Travers, bring The Dark Order’s healers here. More than one Death Eater was taken tonight, and they will be injured. Stay here with them and help them prepare. Does everyone understand?”

Everyone in the room nodded, and murmured ‘Yes My Lord.’

Voldemort nodded and swept from the room to go to the separation point in Malfoy Manor’s gardens. Abraxas and Rodolphus were right behind him, dragging Fenwick with them. The rest of the Death Eaters were right behind them, and together they all apparated to the given location.

 

* * *

 

Bellatrix was sobbing uncontrollably. She was in so much pain, she couldn't concentrate on anything except for the pain covering every inch of her body.

She was naked, broken, and bleeding in every way imaginable.

She absolutely refused to give Moody any information. She would never betray her Lord, the man she loved. Bellatrix would rather suffer for years than betray him. 

The only relief she experienced, was when Voldemort had told her he found out where she was, and that he was coming to save her. But even that was short lived, because Moody began torturing her in some other unbearable way.

Moody had been torturing her for hours now, and seemed to be enjoying every minute of it. Just now he smirked wickedly as he said,

“You have a very strong will Black. I admire that. Too bad I am going to have to break it.”

He spun her around then, and rubbed salt into the cuts and slashes he had carved into her back. 

Bellatrix let out a bloodcurdling scream. The pain was absolutely unimaginable. She was seeing black spots in her vision, and felt like she was going to lose consciousness. 

The pain seemed to go on forever, and she barely heard Moody as he said,

“You know, the muggles can be rather creative with their torture techniques. I met a man once, who worked as an interrogator in their military. He taught me a few things, that have proven to be rather useful in this war. Just give in Black, the pain will end if you do.”

Bellatrix just sneered and spat blood in his face. He chuckled humorlessly as he wiped the blood away, and backhanded her, hard.

She moaned in pain again. Her arms were still chained above her head, and her shoulders felt like they were going to be ripped from their sockets. She had lost her strength to stand a long time ago, now the chains were the only thing keeping her upright. 

She just wished the pain would end. 

Bellatrix watched as Moody picked up the knife again, and she shivered. 

All of the sudden, she heard a loud explosion somewhere nearby. Moody sneered, and set down the knife. 

“I’m not finished with you yet Black. I will be back later.”

With that, he swept from the room, locking the door behind him. Bellatrix hung her head, on the verge of losing consciousness. Moody had been giving her blood replenishing potions so that she wouldn't die from blood loss, but she was still very weak and exhausted. 

She listened halfheartedly as the explosions and shouting grew louder. Not even registering that her Lord was here to save her.

All she knew was pain.

Bellatrix glanced up as the door to her cell was blasted open. She briefly saw her Lord standing there in all his furious glory, before she lost consciousness. 

 

* * *

 

Fenwick had lead Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters to a newer looking, white house North of the city.

The teams didn't hesitate to get to work. Rabastan and Rookwood’s teams went to the East and West sides of the house, and immediately blew up several trees to draw out the Order members. 

Around 15 of Dumbledore's soldiers ran out of the house and engaged his Death Eaters in battle, including Moody. Voldemort wanted the man dead more than anything, but he needed to save her first. The light soldiers battled just as fiercely as they had earlier that night, but his people fought harder, determined to save their friends. 

Voldemort and his team fought their way to the doors of the house, and walked inside cautiously. They had no idea how many Order members were still in the house, and didn't want to take the risk of losing anymore people tonight. 

They moved slowly, and turned left when they reached a corridor. Fenwick had told them where the entrance to the basement was. 

They opened each door they came across, and cleared the rooms, to make sure no one would come up behind them when entered the basement. 

Eventually they reached the last door at the end of the corridor, and walked down the steps slowly. At the bottom of the steps was a corridor lined with doors. 

They entered each room and released the Death Eaters that had been taken from their restraints. They had not been interrogated yet, so they were able to walk out of the basement with Dolohov and Yaxley. 

Voldemort, Rodolphus, and Abraxas continued on to the last door. 

Voldemort dreaded what he whay he would see when he opened the door, but he sent the blasting curse towards it anyways. He walked into the room cautiously, and fury blazed through him like a wildfire. 

Bellatrix was naked, with her hands chained above her head, and her feet chained to the ground. Her legs were bent at awkward angles, and he could tell they were broken. She was completely covered in bruises, cuts, and burns, and her skin was slick with blood. Voldemort felt physically sick at the sight of her like this. She was his, no one was allowed to lay a hand on her. Bella had glanced up at him for a few seconds when he walked in, before her head fell, and he knew she was unconscious. 

Voldemort quickly walked across the room to her and wrapped his left arm around her waist, trying not to touch her injuries. He used his wand to break the restraints, and caught her as she fell. 

Voldemort’s eyes burned terribly, but he did his best to hide it. Rodolphus was next to him then with a conjured blanket. The man wrapped it around her carefully, and Voldemort swept one arm underneath her legs, while the other cradled her back. 

She leaned into his chest, and moaned quietly in pain. He did his best not to jostle her, but they needed to get out of the house before she could be healed. 

Rodolphus must have seen the pain on his face because he looked him in the eyes then and said,

“She is alive My Lord, and her injuries can be healed. That is what matters. We will destroy the people who did this to her.” 

Rodolphus’ eyes were blazing. Bellatrix was one of his closest friends, he wanted the people who did this to her dead almost as much as Voldemort himself did. 

Voldemort nodded once, and Abraxas lead them back out of the room into the corridor. Rodolphus walked behind Voldemort, both of the Death Eaters formed a protective barrier around Voldemort and Bellatrix. 

The four of them made their way slowly out of the house, and back onto the lawn where the battle was taking place. It looked like his Death Eaters were doing an excellent job dealing with the Order members. 

Voldemort could see five Light wizards laying dead on the ground, and the rest of them were starting to disapparate away, knowing it was impossible for them to win when they were this outnumbered. 

Abraxas sent the The Dark Mark into the sky then, the signal for the Death Eaters to leave and go back to the manor. They had accomplished what they set out to do. 

Voldemort turned to his right slightly, clutching Bellatrix tightly to his chest, and apparated to Malfoy Manor. He walked quickly through the gardens, and through the corridors into the makeshift hospital they had created at the start of the war.

The healers were already there waiting, so he walked over to one of the empty beds and set her down.

He started to step back so that the healers would have room to work, but she began to thrash around and moan in pain. He stepped closer again, and she reached out to him, pulling him near her. The second he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and sat next to her on the bed, she stopped thrashing, and laid still. 

The healers looked at them in shock. They hadn't expected their Lord to be the type of person to comfort anyone. 

Voldemort quickly grew irritated with their stares and barked harshly,

“Don’t just stand there looking like bloody idiots! Heal her now!”

Their faces paled, and they began casting diagnostic spells. The healers spent the next hour feeding her potions and casting spells to heal her. Slowly her bones, and wounds on the front of her body began closing and disappearing. 

Eventually the healers looked nervously at Voldemort and said,

“M-My Lord. We need to heal the wounds on her back.” 

Voldemort just used his wandless magic to levitate and rotate her body gently. Everyone gasped when they saw her back, and Voldemort’s magic crackled around him dangerously. 

Carved deeply into her skin were the words,

_ ‘The Dark Lord’s Whore’ _

Bellatrix whimpered quietly then at the feel of his anger, and Voldemort forced himself to calm his magic for her. He glared at the healers and sneered, 

“Heal it now. I want it gone.”

They nodded and began casting more spells to heal and remove the words. Bellatrix whimpered again, so he leaned down and kissed the top of her head. He ran his fingers through her hair, and she instantly calmed down. 

He continued running his finger through her soft hair until the healers had finished their work another hour later. The lead healer looked to Voldemort then and said cautiously,

“My Lord, we have healed all the physical damage. She will need to stay in bed for the next week and take potions daily to strengthen her bones that had been broken, and mend any lingering injuries that healing spells could not. There is a possibility of… of other damage. Injuries that we cannot heal.”

Voldemort frowned deeply,

“What do you mean?”

The healer cleared his throat and continued,

“Miss Black lived through a very traumatic event. There is a possibility she will experience nightmares and flashbacks, among other symptoms.” 

Voldemort closed his eyes for a moment. He had nightmares every single night for years when he was a boy because of the abuse at the orphanage. He would just have to help her through it all he told himself. 

He opened his eyes again and nodded, 

“Very well. I would like you back here daily to check on her. Leave the options on the table next to the bed and leave.”

The healers placed the potions on the table, before bowing and leaving the room. 

Voldemort sighed deeply, and stepped away from the bed momentarily to magically expand it, and remove his outer robe. He then levitated Bellatrix under the blankets, and crawled up beside her. She instantly reached out to him and wrapped her arms tightly around him as she laid her head on his chest. 

Voldemort relaxed as she clung to him. He had almost lost her tonight, and now she was here with him, where she belonged. 

He breathed in her familiar smell, and reveled in the feel of her soft skin under his fingertips.

He loved this woman.

That thought still seemed utterly ridiculous to him. He didn't think himself capable of feeling such emotions. But what he felt for her was so strong, and catastrophically different from anything he had felt before, that he knew it was true. 

Voldemort sighed deeply, and kissed her forehead gently. He closed his eyes, and decided he would tell her in the morning just before he drifted off to sleep.

 

* * *

 

_ “Come on now Black. Just tell me everything I want to know. Tell me your precious Lord’s plans. Give me the location of his base, and his safe houses. If you tell me what I want to know this will all stop.”  _

_ Bellatrix shook her head weakly. She refused to betray him.  _

_ Moody just laughed gleefully, _

_ “I do admire the fighter in you Black. Most would have given in by now. But I cannot allow the Dark to win… so we must continue.” _

_ He reached for a metal rod laying on the single table in the cell. He took his wand and used it to heat the end of the metal until it glowed. He walked towards her slowly then, like a predator stalking its prey in the night. Her heart was beating so quickly she thought it would beat right out of her chest. She thrashed violently, trying to get away from him, and she begged, _

_ “Please just stop. Please no more!” _

_ Moody smirked,  _

_ “Then tell me what I want to know.” _

_ Bellatrix bit her tongue. She couldn't betray him. Moody saw her refusal on her face so he walked closer to her, and touched her arm with the metal. Bellatrix screamed in pain as the metal melted away her skin, but was suddenly aware of her name being called in the distance.  _

“Bellatrix!”

She snapped her eyes open then, and looked around quickly. A sob escaped her as she realized the man she loved was hovering over her with a terrified expression on his face. She pulled him down to her, and buried her face in his strong chest. Voldemort laid on his side, and wrapped his arms protectively around her. He held her tight, whispering reassurances in her ear as she cried uncontrollably, for what felt like hours. 

“Shhhh, it’s okay Bella. You are safe now. You are here with me, where you belong. Just breathe, everything is going to be okay. I will protect you.”

She cried until she ran out of tears, and just clung to him. 

Bellatrix loved this man more than life itself, but she had failed him. She had allowed herself to be captured, and put his whole operation at risk. Why was he here holding her? Why did he save her when he should have let her die for her failure? This wasn't how things should be right now, she didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve him.

“My Lord why did you save me? You should have let me die. I failed you.”

He grabbed her jaw and forced her to look at him then,

“Bellatrix Black. You did not fail me. You fought harder than anyone else tonight.”

She just shook her head and whispered as she started to pull away from him,

“I don't deserve you. I failed you. Why would you want me after that.”

He looked like he was in pain then, and his lips shook as he whispered helplessly,

“You did not fail me Bella, and I want you because I am in love with you.” 

Her whole world seemed to stop then. She couldn't breathe, and her heart skipped a beat. He kissed her gently, and whispered against her lips, 

“As I watched them take you away from me tonight, I felt as if a part of my very being had been stolen from me. The grief I experienced was very nearly unbearable. I realized then that I loved you, and I have loved you for some time now. You are a part of me, and I cannot lose you. It would ruin me completely.” 

Tears were flowing down her face again, and be bent to kiss them away from her cheeks. The man she loved, the man she would die for loved her back. He loved her, and as unbelievable as that sounded, she knew he meant it. He looked her in the eyes then, and she saw nothing but love in his gaze. 

She reached up to run her fingers across Voldemort’s jaw then, just to make sure he was real. She stared at his high cheek bones, his perfectly chiseled jaw, and captivating eyes that she loved so much. Bellatrix shook her head then, and asked no one in particular,

“What on Earth did I do to deserve such a perfect man?”

His face lightened a little and he chuckled,

“You have done so much more than you know. You make me comfortable, and happy. You help me relax when I am stressed, and you loved me, even when I did not return the sentiment. We share a soul bond Bella, as insane as that still sounds. We were meant to be with one another. I love you, truly.”

She nodded quickly and whispered,

“I love you too My Lord. You are every thing to me.”

Voldemort kissed her passionately then, his lips insistent and needy against hers, his breath shaking through his nose. He tasted just as perfect as he always did. They needed this kiss after a night like tonight. It was both intense and reassuring, and she wished more than anything that he would take her right now. 

He pulled away, panting for breath and shook his head,

“As much as I would love nothing more than to spend hours making you scream my name, you are not yet completely healed Bella. I will not touch you like that until I know I won't hurt you.”

She frowned then, and he smirked as he promised,

“Once you are better, I promise to spend a whole day in bed with you. Making you scream and moan in pleasure until you beg me to stop. You won't be able to walk when I am finished with you Bella.”

Her jaw dropped then, and she shivered as she went completely wet between her legs. Bellatrix didn't know if she would be able to survive a whole day like that with him. Seeing him wearing nothing, with all his toned muscles that were just the right size, looking like a perfectly sexy Dark God. 

Voldemort’s eyes darkened then, and his smirk grew,

“Sexy Dark God… hmmm Bella? I think I like that.”

She blushed furiously, and wished he hadn't heard that thought though the bond. 

He just smiled at her, obviously very pleased with himself, and kissed her once firmly. 

“Let's get some sleep Bella. It's three in the morning and you need to rest.”

She just nodded and curled up into his chest once more. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, and kissed her forehead carefully as he said,

“Goodnight Bella, I do love you.”

She smiled into his chest and whispered back,

“And I love you My Lord. Goodnight.”

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to thank all of you for reading and for the feedback! It is greatly appreciated!
> 
> For those of you who might be wondering what spells I had Voldemort use in the last chapter, here they are, I made them all up, so I apologize if they aren't exactly translated right:  
> Oculi Praemium- Eye Explosion Curse  
> Excorio Pellis- Skin Flaying Curse  
> Acidum Sanguis- Acid Blood Curse  
> Infervesco Sanguis- Blood Boiling Curse  
> Cor Meum Displodo- Heart Explosion Curse  
> Pellis Combustio- Skin Burning Curse


	10. Games

**July 30th 1970, Slytherin Castle**

It had been about two weeks since Bellatrix had been kidnapped, and rescued from the Order of the Phoenix, and she was about ready to explode. The Dark Lord hadn’t taken her since before the kidnapping, and her desire for him had increased significantly. They had not gone without sex for more than a day since the very first time, and now she barely saw him because he was gone most of the day working.

Bellatrix could tell he was having fun denying her. He would tease her with feather light touches, and gorgeous smiles in the evenings when he came home. But then as soon as she tried to touch him, he would walk away smirking.

It was maddening.

Bellatrix smirked as she got dressed for the day, she decided two could play that game. She decided to wear a scandalously low cut, emerald colored blouse, that just hinted at the swell of her breasts. Along with leggings, and boots. She braided her hair down her shoulder as she did most days, and lightly did her makeup. 

Once she had finished, she left the bathroom, and made her way down to the breakfast room, where they ate together most days. The formal dining rooms were rather large, but this room was much smaller, meant for only a few people to eat at a time. 

She walked through the many corridors, towards the East side of the castle where the room was located. Voldemort was already seated at the table, reading the Daily Prophet while sipping from a cup of coffee. 

His eyes turned to her when she walked in, and ran up and down her form. His eyes settled on her breasts, and he frowned as he said,

“I hope you aren't planning on leaving the castle today wearing that blouse. I won't have anyone else staring at what is mine.”

Bellatrix gave him a smile and replied,

“Oh no My Lord, I am not going anywhere today. This is just for you.”

He narrowed his eyes, and looked at her suspiciously for a few moments, before he nodded and returned to reading. Bellatrix stifled a grin, and moved to sit across from him. Her breakfast and a cup of coffee appeared in front of her, and she ate in silence for a few moments. 

After a while, she slowly began running her foot up and down his lower leg. He looked at her from the table with narrowed eyes again, but she ignored the look and continued to eat her breakfast. Gradually she moved her foot higher up his leg, until she reached his upper thigh. She then brushed very lightly against the hardening bulge in his trousers, causing his breath to hitch. She continued running her foot up and down his leg, and lightly touching his erection, but never touching him enough to give him any satisfaction. She kept doing this until he was rigid in his trousers. 

Then Bellatrix smirked, and pulled away completely. She took one last sip of her coffee, stood from the table, and left the room without even giving him a second glance. Her smirk grew as she felt his intense arousal, and irritation through the bond. He knew what she was doing, and Bellatrix knew she would probably regret playing this game with him later, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. She was going to have fun with this, and she knew that he was secretly enjoying it too. 

Bellatrix spent the rest of her day reading, and learning new spells to improve her dueling. Every couple hours or so, she would think about the different times he had taken her, about the time she had used her mouth on him. She would send him detailed thoughts and images through the bond, hoping to drive him into action. But she soon discovered his patience knew no bounds. He spent the whole day at Malfoy Manor, and never once spoke to her through the bond. It was infuriating, and she wondered how much longer he would keep her waiting. 

She didn’t see him until late that evening, after he had returned home from Malfoy Manor. She was already laying in bed, reading a book when he walked into the bedroom. He walked over to the bed, and placed a chaste kiss on her lips, before gliding over to the wardrobe. He stared at her as he slowly removed each piece of clothing, and placed them inside. She began to get more and more excited with each portion of his skin that was revealed. He started with his outer robe, then his tie, and his dress shirt, before he moved onto his boots, socks, trousers, and black tight fitting underwear. 

Bellatrix moaned a little at the sight of his toned, bare chest and stomach, and what lie beneath. She would never get enough of seeing him like this. Her mouth went completely dry as he walked gracefully over to the bed, and layed down on top of the blankets. He placed his right hand behind his head, and his left hand on his stomach. His right leg was stretched out in front of him, and his left leg was bent slightly. He truly looked like a delicious Dark God, and she longed to touch him, and kiss every inch of him.  

Eventually she couldn’t help herself, and she reached out to run her fingers across his perfect bearded jaw, but frowned deeply when she discovered there was a ward between them, preventing her from touching him. Voldemort smirked then, and she realized this was his plan all along. He knew Bellatrix couldn’t resist him like this. This was his way of punishing her for her teasing throughout the day. 

She nearly growled with frustration, causing him to chuckle. He just ignored her, and closed his eyes to go to sleep. Bellatrix just huffed, and turned away from him to go to sleep. Tomorrow two members of The Dark were getting married, and Voldemort had agreed to attend. She would be going with him on his arm once again.

Bellatrix would just have to use the opportunity to tease him again, and hopefully weaken his strong will.

 

* * *

 

**July 31st 1970, Nott Manor**

 

Voldemort and Bellatrix walked towards the ballroom of Nott Manor, for the wedding ceremony of Marius Nott and Valentina Carrow. Marius Nott was one of his very first followers, and had been apart of his Inner Circle during his Hogwarts years. It was important for him to attend this wedding he knew. Marius had been loyal to Voldemort for most of his life, and it was important for him to reward such loyalty among his followers. 

He glanced down at Bella as they walked, she looked very beautiful tonight, dressed in a silver gown, with sleeves that hung loosely off of her shoulders, and emerald elbow length, silk gloves. She left her hair down tonight, and her dark curls flowed elegantly down her shoulders. 

She looked slightly tired tonight, and he knew it was because she didn’t sleep well the night before. Normally she was wrapped in his arms as they slept, but last night he put up a ward between them as a punishment for taunting him all day. She had made it nearly impossible for him to concentrate on his work, and he had broken multiple quills while writing letters. He had almost given into his desire to return to Slytherin Castle and fuck her senseless against the wall, but his will held strong. Voldemort found the game they were playing rather amusing, but he wasn’t done punishing her yet, he had more planned for this evening. Bellatrix would soon learn she wasn’t capable of winning games played with him. 

He smirked at that thought as they entered the ballroom. They walked gracefully towards their reserved seats in the front row, and she released his arm as they sat down. They were some of the last people to arrive, so the ceremony began shortly afterwards.

As the music began to play, and the bride began walking down the aisle, Voldemort wrapped his right arm across the back of her chair, and began gently drawing circles on her shoulder blade with his index, and middle fingers. He couldn’t help the smirk that appeared on his face when he saw her shiver out of the corner of his eye. He loved getting those reactions out of her with a simple touch. Bella looked at him with narrowed eyes, and he raised an eyebrow, daring her to say anything. She just smirked in response, and he couldn’t help but wonder what she had planned. 

They both turned their eyes back to the ceremony, although neither of them were paying attention. Voldemort found these types of gatherings to be rather boring, so he spent his time running his fingertips up and down her arm lightly, and rubbing circles on her shoulder, and the back of her neck. He purposefully sent jolts of his magic through his fingertips, causing her lips to part, and her breath to hitch. By the end of the ceremony her cheeks were pink, and her breathing was uneven. 

The two of them stood from their seats as the newly married couple made their way down the aisle. Voldemort placed his hand on her lower back protectively as they followed the crowd outside the manor, onto the elegantly decorated lawn for dinner and the reception. He pulled out Bella’s chair for her, at their private table, and sat down next to her. 

He barely paid attention to the speeches and toasts that were made in the bride and grooms honor, and was thankful when their food appeared in front of him. They ate a few bites of food in relative silence, until he felt her hand on his leg underneath the table. Very much against his will, he felt the heat pool in his groin as she moved her hand upwards towards him. 

So this was her plan. To tease him in a place where he couldn’t put up much resistance without being noticed. He smirked and said,

“You should eat Bella, the food is rather good.”

She returned his smirk as she whispered,

“I am not hungry for the food My Lord. You taste much more delicious.”

 

 

* * *

 

Bellatrix couldn’t help the smug feeling that rose up within her as she watched his eyes darken at her words. He had teased her with his touch throughout the wedding ceremony, and her patience was wearing thin for this game they were playing. 

She watched as he turned away from her, and closed his eyes, seemingly trying to calm himself. She kept her hand on his leg, massaging it gently as they finished their meals. They watched uninterested as the newly married couple as they danced for the first time, and once the dance had ended, Voldemort stood from his chair. He held out his hand to her, and said,

“Dance with me Bella.”

She gave him a smile, and took his hand. He lead her to the dance floor, and gracefully pulled her into his arms as a slow waltz began to play. Bellatrix sighed with relief. She didn’t think it was possible to miss this feeling so much after only one day. 

He gave her a meaningful look as he said,

“You look very beautiful tonight.”

She gave him a bright smile, and noticed his breath hitch, 

“I am nothing compared to you My Lord.”

She meant that very honestly. He was wearing an emerald green, and silver high collared robe, with a silver dress shirt, and black trousers. He had left his robes open, and left the top button of his shirt undone, instead of wearing a tie. His dress robes were intricately designed with Viennese style patterns stitched into the fabric, and fit his lean form perfectly. She couldn’t help but notice the way his muscles rippled underneath his shirt when he moved. 

Voldemort gave her a small smile, and continued to stare at her for the rest of the dance. As the music ended, he brushed his lips across her cheek gently and whispered,

“Rodolphus is standing near the Manor house looking as if he is about to have a panic attack. Perhaps you should speak with him.”

Bellatrix turned a little, and looked over to where Voldemort had motioned. Rodolphus was standing there, fidgeting with his dress robes, looking pale as a ghost.

“Perhaps you are right My Lord. I will come find you after I speak with him?”

Voldemort nodded,

“Yes please do. I would like to dance with you again.”

She gave him another smile, and turned to walk towards Rodolphus. He looked up at her with wide eyes as she approached and said nervously,

“Hello Bellatrix.”

She frowned,

“Hello Rodolphus, what on Earth is wrong? You look as if you are ready to run away?”

He sighed, and ran his fingers through his hair as he shrugged,

“He is here.”

Rodolphus gestured over to the drinks table, where a handsome young man, with black hair and black eyes was standing alone, observing the crowd. He was dressed simply in black dress robes, and looked rather bored. She looked back at Rodolphus and asked,

“Have you told him about how you feel yet?”

Rodolphus shook his head and looked down at his feet. Bellatrix sighed, and said,

“Go speak with him, ask him to dance. He is a handsome man, do you want someone else to catch his attention before you do? You are a powerful warrior Rodolphus, Severus would be lucky to have you.”

“You think so?”

Bellatrix nodded and replied seriously,

“Yes I do. Go speak with him or you will regret it.”

Rodolphus closed his eyes and seemed to steel himself then. Once he had visibly calmed down, he opened his eyes and said,

“You are right. I just need to do it. Thank you Bellatrix.”

He began to walk towards the future potions master, and Bellatrix smiled. She watched as Rodolphus approached him, and spoke to him quietly for a few moments. She saw him gesture towards the dance floor, and saw Snape look at him suspiciously, before he nodded and took Rodolphus’ arm. 

Rodolphus sent her a grateful smile as he began to dance with the other man, which Bellatrix returned. She didn’t have many friends, but she definitely considered him to be one of them. 

Bellatrix shook her head fondly, and searched the crowd for Lord Voldemort. Her heart sunk when she saw him standing near the dance floor, surrounded by several very beautiful women. Jealousy burned through her then. She knew she wasn’t allowed to be possessive of him. He was her master, and they had only been living together for about four months. But it still bothered her, seeing the man she loved surrounded by other women who were much more beautiful than she was. Tears burned her eyes as she watched the one on his left touch his arm. He whispered something in her ear then, and gave her a dazzling smile. 

The smile disappeared from his face as he glanced up and met her eyes. She looked away from him, unable to stare at him any longer without crying. She left the reception, and walked briskly towards the gardens. She walked for a long while, until she came across a simple stone bench, and sat down.

Tears began flowing down her face as the emotions from everything that had happened lately crashed into her like a tidal wave. The kidnapping, him denying her his touch over the past few weeks, and now seeing him flirt with another woman… It was all too much. She buried her face in her hands, and her shoulders shook with silent sobs. She had felt weak since the kidnapping, and she still didn’t understand why Voldemort would want her to be his after that. She had nightmares most nights, and she wasn’t able to fight in battles for a long while. She was useless to him now. 

She had been worried he would decide to cast her out over the past week or so, all of his actions indicated that he would. He had spent his days away from the castle working, he didn’t return until late at night after she had gone to sleep, and they had barely spoken.

Now she had her proof that her insecurities were correct. She was useless now, and that thought was heartbreaking. 

She was startled then as she felt familiar, strong arms wrap around her then. She cried harder, and heard him ask,

“What is wrong Bella? Tell me Love.”

She didn’t understand why he was holding her, or calling her ‘Love’, but she sent him all of her questions and insecurities through the bond, hoping he would understand.

After a long while, he sighed deeply, and she yelped as he picked her up and set her in his lap. Bellatrix leaned into his shoulder as he said gently,

“Bella… You are not useless to me. I do not see you as an object that I will just toss aside when I no longer need you. You are an excellent soldier, and you are healing from circumstances you couldn’t have prevented. I am sorry if I misled you in anyway. I didn’t mean to make you think I was avoiding you. I refused to touch you because you were healing, and I didn’t want to worsen your injuries. I have been working a lot lately, because Dumbledore has been very active, and has been making things very difficult for The Dark Order for the past week. And as for the women just a little while ago… they approached me while I was waiting for you to finish talking to Rodolphus. The one woman touched my arm repeatedly, so I whispered in her ear that I belong to you, and if she did it again, I would make sure she didn’t live to see her next birthday. I love you Bella, there is only you. I would never want anyone else.”

She sniffled slightly and raised her eyes to him to ask,

“What do you mean when you say you belong to me? You don’t belong to anyone… you are The Dark Lord, I am no one... “

Voldemort kissed the tears away from her cheeks, before kissing the skin beneath her ear and whispering,

“No Bella, you are very important, and I do belong to you. You caught my attention, and captured my heart when no one else before you had been able to do so. You are the only person alive who I care for Bella. You mean the world to me.”

She gasped after hearing his words, and he moved his mouth to hers. He kissed her gently, calming her, and easing her fears. 

She pulled away after a minute and whispered,

“I am sorry, I shouldn’t have…”

He cut her off and shook his head,

“No Bella, you have nothing to apologize for. I should have made more time to see you when I knew you were still healing. Let's go home, I have no desire to stay here any longer.” 

She nodded, and began to stand from his lap, but he surprised her by wrapping one arm under her legs, and the other behind her back. She quickly threaded her arms around his shoulders, and looked into his eyes as he stood from the bench, and apparated them back to Slytherin Castle. 

As they appeared in the bedroom they shared, he banished both of their clothing to their wardrobes, and pulled back the blankets on the bed using wandless magic. He laid her down carefully, and climbed onto the bed to hover over her.

Voldemort gave her a serious look as he said,

“I have been desperate to do this for weeks now, are you sure you feel well enough?”

Bellatrix nodded and replied truthfully,

“Yes My Lord, I feel fine, I promise.”

He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her thoroughly, and she sighed with relief as she felt his magic surround her protectively. She had missed him.

He was breathless as he pulled his mouth away from hers and said,

“I want you to look at me as I make love to you. Keep your eyes open Bella.”

Bellatrix nodded, and wrapped her legs around his waist. He shifted a little, and stared into her eyes as he pushed into her slowly. She moaned helplessly at the feel of him filling and stretching her. 

Something felt drastically different this time as he moved in and out of her slowly. Their magic felt more connected than it ever had before, and Bellatrix was hyper aware of him. She could feel his every breath, and every heart beat as if it were her own. She felt his pleasure mix with hers, and heard all of his thoughts in his mind. 

Bellatrix could tell he enjoyed the feel of being buried within her, she could tell he was hopelessly in love with her, and would kill every witch or wizard alive to keep her safe. Hearing that thought brought tears to her eyes, and she whispered urgently,

“I love you, I love you so much.”

He nodded and replied truthfully,

“I love you too Bella.”

He sped up his thrusting then, and continued to look into her eyes. She felt lost within his crimson red gaze, and felt everything begin to tighten deep inside of her. Voldemort’s breathing became more urgent, in the way it always did when he was getting close. 

He gave her a meaningful look as he ordered through clenched teeth,

“Come with me Bella.”

She nodded desperately, and felt white hot pleasure coarse through her body as she tightened around him. He groaned loudly, and she felt his climax mix with hers. Each of their climaxes seemed to prolong the other, and when the pleasure finally dissipated, Voldemort collapsed his full body weight onto her, breathing heavily. 

A bright white light flashed briefly around them then, and she couldn’t help but wonder why. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and groaned quietly before saying,

“I think we just completed the bond.”

Bellatrix closed her eyes, and wondered what exactly that would mean for them. Would they share magical abilities? Would she always be this hyper aware of him? 

“Why do you think we completed the bond this time, after all the times we have been intimate My Lord?”

He kissed her neck lightly before he whispered,

“Probably because this is the first time we have done this since I told you I was in love with you. I read the other day, in a book I found in the library that mutual love is a very important part of a soul bond. It was probably impossible for the bond to complete itself without my realization that I loved you back.”

She smiled a little and admitted,

“I am glad I share this bond with you. There is no one else I would ever want to be with.”

He just hummed in agreement and seemed to drift off to sleep then. That made her smile again, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and threaded one of her hands into his hair. 

She drifted off to sleep feeling more love for him than she had ever imagined possible. 


	11. Le Sirenuse

**September 8th 1970, Colchester**

 

“Do you think he is here My Lord?”

Voldemort nodded,

“Yes he is here. I can feel it. Let’s go in, kill him, and get out as quickly as possible. I do not want to stay out in the open for very long, the aurors have been more active than usual, and could be near by.”

Lord Voldemort and Bellatrix were standing on the edge of auror Edward Jones’ property in  Colchester.

Jones had been investigating Ministry employees, searching for those loyal to the Dark, and had already sent one of the Dark Lord’s best spies to Azkaban from the auror department. Voldemort did not appreciate the inconvenience the man had caused him, and wanted him dead before he discovered another one of his spies.

Bellatrix and Voldemort had apparated to the bachelor's house which was located just outside of the city. They placed apparition wards around the whole property to prevent the skilled auror from escaping. Voldemort knew the man was very creative and slippery in battle. Jones had always managed to escape, no matter how many Death Eaters he had sent after him. Which is  why Voldemort decided to dispose of the man himself today.

The inseparable pair disillusioned themselves, and made their way cautiously towards the house, taking their time checking the area for possible traps and wards. By the time they had reached the house, they had each disabled three traps which had been specifically designed to kill anyone who activated them. Apparently Moody was not the only paranoid auror in the auror corps.

It had taken them around 15 minutes to work their way past the traps, and Voldemort realized Jones probably knew they were there by now. He decided stealth was no longer an option, so he blasted open the door with an over powered blasting curse. Bellatrix entered the house quickly in front of him, and was a second to late as she spun to her left.

Jones was standing there, ready for them as she walked in, and yelled,

_“Laedo Ledo!”_

The overpowered hex was meant to mimic a physical punch, or kick, and it hit Bella straight in the stomach as she spun towards Jones. The hex sent Bellatrix flying backwards several feet, and fury blazed through him. He immediately spun to his right as he walked through the door and sent three killing curses towards Jones.

The blond man managed to dodge the first two curse, but was unprepared when the final killing curse struck him in the chest. Voldemort watched as the man fell to the ground with a thud, and turned towards Bellatrix.

She had forced herself into a standing position, but was bent over a little, leaning against the wall as she clutched her abdomen. He approached her and cupped her face in his hands as he asked,

“Are you alright?”

She shook her head no, and then whimpered a little as she clutched her stomach tighter,

“Something is wrong.”

She then reached between her legs, and when she pulled her hand back, there was crimson red blood on her fingertips.

Panic filled Voldemort, and he swept an arm under her legs as he lifted her into his arms. She buried her face in his robes, and whimpered quietly in pain as he briskly walked out of the house. He kissed the top of her head and whispered as reassuringly as he could,

“You are going to be fine Bella.”

He carried her weight easily as he glided to the edge of the property past the apparition wards he had created.

Voldemort disapparated to Malfoy Manor, and the healers flew to his side when he entered the hospital wing.

“My Lord what happened?”

“She was hit by a physical beating hex on her abdomen, she's bleeding. Heal her now!”

Voldemort set her down gently on the bed, and stepped back as the healers ran diagnostics tests on her. He listened intently as Healer Andrews murmured,

“Ruptured appendix, bruising on the abdominal muscles, and… oh no..”

Fear ran through his veins, those were not words he wanted to hear,

“What is it?”

Healer Andrews swallowed hard before he answered,

“She is… she is having a miscarriage My Lord.”

Voldemort tried to keep his face steady, but his jaw dropped anyways. He looked at Bella’s terrified face as he asked,

“She’s pregnant?”

Healer Andrews cleared his throat,

“Was, My Lord. She was pregnant. We cannot stop the miscarriage since it is occurring so early in the pregnancy. I am terribly sorry for your loss.”

The Dark Lord didn’t acknowledge the healer, he instead stared at Bellatrix as she choked out a sob and turned away from him.

The healers were standing there, watching him with pity.

Voldemort loathed pity, so his facial expression became glacial as he sneered,

“If you do not stop standing around like imbeciles, I shall have you join the prisoners in the dungeons. Do your bloody job and heal her!”

The healers and mediwitches began moving around frantically, casting spells and giving her potions, not wanting to face The Dark Lord’s wrath.

Voldemort just stood there, looking at her as conflicting feelings flowed through him like a raging river.

He had never wanted, nor imagined himself having a family. Children had always disgusted him, especially while he lived in the orphanage. They were sniveling, dirty, mindless little creatures, who had annoyed him to no end. Even when he was six years old, he would often imagine burning down the orphanage with everyone inside, for the way they behaved and treated him.

But this was different.

This wasn't just anyone else's child. This had been his own flesh and blood, and he had no idea how he was meant to feel about such a thing.

Part of him wanted to get as far away from the Manor as possible to escape the alien feelings he could not describe, and the other part of him wanted to wrap her in his arms and never let go.

After staring at her for a full minute in silence, he opted for the later, and walked around the bed so he could look at her face. She looked closed off, and broken. Voldemort could feel through the bond that she had not known about the pregnancy, and was just as confused as he was.

Her eyes were blank as they stared off into nothingness, clouded with guilt, confusion, and grief.

“Bella.”

Her eyes darted to him when he said her name, and the guilt on her face increased tenfold. Tears started streaming down her face as she whispered,

“I am so sorry.”

Voldemort shook his head and conjured a chair next to her. He sat down slowly before leaning over to kiss her cheek.

He used the mental connection you speak to her so their conversation could stay private,

_You have no reason to be sorry Bella. This is my fault, I am the one who has always been in control of contraceptive spells. I must have forgotten._

Tears began falling harder from her beautiful dark eyes,

_But I should have known My Lord. I should have figured it out. Now the heir of the Dark Lord is dead because of me._

_I never needed an heir Bella. I have never wanted to have a child. And I know you, you would have detested staying home with a child when you could be fighting in battles. A child is a weakness, our enemies could have used it against me. I am a Dark Lord Bella, I could never be a loving and doting father. I am not meant to be a father, not now and probably not ever._

Bellatrix just closed her eyes and nodded slightly, showing she understood. However, he could still feel her grief through the bond, and tears continued to fall down her face.

Voldemort was not a kind man in any sense. He enjoyed hurting others, and seeing them in pain. But Bellatrix was different. Seeing her like this made his chest ache terribly.

“My Lord?”

Voldemort looked to healer Andrews with a raised eyebrow. The healer cleared his throat awkwardly before saying,

“We have healed her internal injuries My Lord. As for the miscarriage… there are two options. We can either allow her body to continue bleeding, and expelling the remains of the pregnancy naturally, which takes about one week. Or we can remove the remains of the pregnancy now using magic. I must warn you, using magic will cause some pain and discomfort.”

He glanced over at Bellatrix who was crying harder than ever now, and asked,

“Bella what would you like to do? It is your choice.”

She choked out a small sob and said,

“Do it now.”

The healer nodded and began making preparations with the other medical staff.

“Alright Miss Black, we are ready to begin.”

Bellatrix nodded, and Voldemort sat on the edge of the bed facing her. He cupped her face in his hands, and stared into her eyes.

Her hands flew to his biceps, and she squeezed them harshly as she cried out in pain.

Voldemort bent to touch his forehead to hers, and sent all the love he bore for her through the bond. This seemed to calm her slightly, but the pain continued for the next several minutes as the healers finished their work.

Bellatrix released his arms and laid there panting once healer Andrews had finished removing all evidence of the pregnancy. She turned away from him then, seemingly unable to look at him any longer.

Voldemort turned to the healer and asked,

“Is she completely healed then?”

Andrews nodded,

“Yes My Lord, although, I would recommend avoiding any strenuous activity for the next several days. There will also most likely be cramping due to the miscarriage for the next week. However, a simple pain relieving spell should take care of any discomfort.”

“Can she travel?”

The healer seemed surprised by this question,

“Yes My Lord she can travel.”

Voldemort nodded and waved a hand to dismiss the medical staff.

Bellatrix was still avoiding his gaze when he turned back towards her, so he just sighed, and kissed her forehead gently before saying,

“I must leave for a little while, My Love. I promise I won't be gone for more than an hour. Why don’t you close your eyes and rest while I am gone?

Bella just glanced at him momentarily, before nodding and closing her eyes. He kissed her forehead once more, before standing up and leaving the hospital wing.

He had arrangements to make.

 

* * *

 

 

Bellatrix didn’t know what to think.

She had always been the one to sneer at the girls in Slytherin who only talked about marrying a proper pureblood boy, and having many children. She had never imagined herself having children. Like her Lord had said, she was meant to be fighting in battles by his side, not stay home taking care of a child.

But this was different. She had been pregnant, and now that child was gone. She had never before wanted a family, but she couldn’t help the grief and guilt she was experiencing. She should have figured out that she was pregnant, and because she didn’t, it was her fault that her Lord’s child was dead. Bellatrix couldn’t handle looking at him, it was too much.  

She knew Voldemort was right when he said neither of them were meant to be parents. The miscarriage was probably for the best, yet she couldn’t stop the hurricane of emotions swirling through her.

In the end, she forced herself to drift off to sleep.

It felt like she had only closed her eyes for a minute before Bellatrix felt her Lord by her side again.

She opened her eyes and saw him standing next to her bed, wearing an untucked navy blue dress shirt, with the top buttons undone and his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, with tailored black trousers, and black dress shoes. His appearance was exceedingly casual compared to his usual look, and Bellatrix couldn’t help but admire how handsome he was for a moment.

Voldemort cupped her jaw in one hand as he whispered,

“I have made arrangements for us to get away for a week and a half. I believe we both could use a break from the war.”

Bellatrix frowned as she asked,

“What about your soldiers My Lord? What will they do?”

“I have ordered them to lay low for the next month, to allow the public to believe the Ministry has control of Britain once again. After the month has passed, we will launch a large scale attack, and send the Ministry into chaos.”

Bellatrix just nodded in reply, and she yelped in surprise as he lifted her small form from the bed, placing one hand behind her back, and the other beneath her legs. She wrapped her arms around his neck and exclaimed,

“My Lord! I am wearing a hospital gown, I am not exactly fit for appearing in public…”

Voldemort smirked,

“It does not matter Bella, not where we are going. Reach into my shirt pocket and pull out the galleon.”

She frowned in confusion as she took the galleon out of his pocket, and listened as he said,

“Now say ‘Positano’.”

Bellatrix looked into his alluring crimson red eyes as she whispered,

“Positano.”

She closed her eyes as she felt the familiar spinning sensation of a portkey.

As soon as the sensation vanished, she opened her eyes and gasped. They were standing in the middle of a spacious suite of rooms. The suite contained high vaulted ceilings, white washed walls, and intricately designed white, blue, and gray tile floors throughout. Everything was elegantly decorated in light colors, and antique furniture.

“Where are we My Lord?”

“Le Sirenuse hotel, in Positano Italy, right along the Amalfi Coast.”

“It is very beautiful.”

Voldemort nodded,

“Yes it is, the coastline is stunning, and we have a perfect view of it from our terrace. But first, how would you like to take a hot bath to relax? It has been a long day.”

Bellatrix nodded as she was hit with another wave of emotions which made her eyes burn. He kissed her once gently, before carrying her into the bathroom. The bathroom was white, the rest of the apartment, and contained a large tile shower, decorated similarly to the floor, and a beautiful claw foot bath tub.

“How do you feel physically? Do you think you are able to stand?”

“I think I can stand My Lord.”

He set her down gently, and she nearly buckled over as her lower abdomen cramped painfully. He quickly wrapped an arm around her waist to hold her steady, and used wandless magic to cast a pain relieving spell,

“ _Relevo._ Are you alright?”

She sighed gratefully as the pain subsided,

“Yes.”

Voldemort nodded, but didn’t let her go as he and turned on the water to fill the bath

Once the bath was full of steaming hot water he helped her take off the hospital gown and step inside.

The hot water felt heavenly on her sore body, and she relaxed immediately.He bent to kiss her just once, before walking over to the counter and picking up a bottle of soap.

He walked back over to the tub, and knelt behind her. Bellatrix felt him wet her hair, before massaging soap onto her scalp. He was gentle, and perfect, and it made her want to start crying all over again.

He was vicious, cold, and terrifying to all of his other followers, but with her he was a completely different man. The man washing her hair for her was not The Dark Lord. He was someone else entirely.

Bellatrix loved both sides of him. She loved the cold blooded killer, and the gentle lover. She loved all of him, but she still did not understand why he cared for her.

She had never truly done anything to deserve him.

By the time he had finished washing and rinsing her hair, she had tears running down her face again.

He helped her stand up to get out of the bath as he said,

“I love you, isn't that enough of a reason?”

Bellatrix didn't respond. Emotions were still raging through her, and she was exhausted.

Voldemort sighed deeply as he used magic to dry her, and laced his fingers through hers as they walked slowly out into the bedroom. He pulled two small boxes out of his pocket and placed them on the king sized bed. He tapped each of them with his wand, and resized them.

Bellatrix realized then that they were trunks, which had been shrunk down to make then easier to travel with. He used his wand to banish all of their clothing to the wardrobes, but kept undergarments, a pair of leggings and a comfortable white, loose button up shirt for her to wear.

She dressed slowly, given the fact that she was still very sore, and watched as he poured two glasses of red wine. He handed one to her and grabbed her hand as he said,

“Come with me.”

Bellatrix let him lead her out onto the large private terrace overlooking the sea.

Voldemort had been right, it was stunning. The moonlight reflecting off of the dark blue water, the sound of the waves crashing on the shore, and the colorful, Italian style houses lining the cliffs along the coast… it was all breathtaking.

Voldemort dragged her over to the very large lounge chair and kicked his dress shoes off before he sat down.  

She sat down next to him, and he wrapped an arm around her as she leaned into his shoulder. They both sat there quietly, savoring the peaceful scene before them as they sipped from their glasses of wine.

After a long while she couldn't help but ask the question that had been bothering her since the healer had told her about the miscarriage.

“Does it bother you?”

He sighed and finished off the wine that was left in his glass. He summoned the bottle from inside their suite and refilled it before he responded,

“I am confused, I admit. But yes, it does bother me. It is strange, because neither of us knew about the child before hand, and yet, I feel strange knowing my child has died.”

She nodded and moved closer to him.

“I never wanted children My Lord. I thought a child would get in my way. I still do, however, I still feel grief. Maybe it is the hormones. I'm sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for Bella. Both of us are at fault here. When we return home, I shall purchase a contraceptive potion. One that will last indefinitely until another potion is taken to counteract it. I do not want you to ever go through something like this again. We are warriors and leaders, neither of us are meant to be parents.”

Bellatrix took a large drink of her wine before she whispered,

“I agree My Lord, I think that would be wise.”

She closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the smell and sound of the sea, and the cool breeze brushing against her skin.

She used her free hand to unbutton the top half of his dress shirt, before laying her head against his bare chest. The sound of his steady heartbeat, and the feel of his magic flowing through his skin, mixing with hers helped calm her.

She felt him rub his hand up and down her arm, and listened as he said,

“I brought us to Italy because after a day like today, I believe a holiday is necessary. We have earned a brief respite from the war. You and I have fought harder than anyone, and have sacrificed more than most. Let us try to relax and have fun while we are here alright? We need to try and move on from the events of today.”

Bellatrix nodded, and turned to face him a little. She cupped his bearded jaw in her hand, and ran her thumb gently under his eye. He leaned into her touch and stared at her, with crimson eyes that were swirling with emotions she could not name.

She leaned in and kissed him, his lips soft and warm as they brushed against hers lightly.

She pulled away after a minute and finished the rest of the wine in her glass, before she leaned on his chest once more, her exhaustion starting to take over.

Bellatrix took one last look at the beautiful scenery before she closed her eyes and whispered,

“I love you My Lord.”

He may have responded, but Bellatrix would not have heard him, because she drifted off into a deep sleep. Unable to fight off her exhaustion any longer.

 

* * *

 

 **September 23rd, Le** **Sirenuse, Positano** **Italy**

 

Bellatrix woke to the beautiful sounds of her Lord playing the piano in the sitting room of their suite. The notes flowing smoothly together to form an enchanting melody. She pulled herself out of the large bed, and walked to the sitting room. He glanced up momentarily as she leaned against the wall to his left, and turned up one half of his mouth. Bellatrix returned his smile, and watched as his fingertips danced gracefully along the ivory keys.

He looked enticing just now. His white dress shirt was unbuttoned, revealing his toned body, his black trousers tailored to fit him perfectly, his feet were bare, his hair was messy, and had that just-fucked look. He looked more like a model than a Dark Lord.

Bella smiled as she thought back to their time together in Italy.

Their days had been spent exploring the Amalfi Coast, admiring the architecture, drinking far too much Italian wine, and eating delicious food.

After the sun had set, they spent their evenings talking walks on the pebbled beaches, listening to live classical music, and drinking even more wine. At the end of it all they fell asleep together, limbs tangled beneath the sheets.

Voldemort had decided to extend their trip after portkeying back to Britain to check on the status of his Death Eaters, and the war. Things were going well back home, so they decided to stay an extra week. They were happy, and enjoying themselves so they saw no reason to go back while they waited to make their move.

In Britain, the British people were beginning to trust the Ministries ability to stay in control of Lord Voldemort and his followers.

By the time they returned to Britain, and initiated a mass attack, the British people would once again have complete trust in their government. That trust would then be ripped away by The Dark Lord, and the people would never again trust the current Ministry. He would gain control of the media, and portray The Dark Order as a revolutionary group, seeking to protect magical beings from dangerous muggles, and improve the corrupt wizarding government. People would begin to notice how organized and controlled Voldemort’s organization truly was, and people would hopefully put their trust in him, instead of the minister.

The only major problem standing in the way of changing the opinions of the people, was Dumbledore.

Dumbledore had created rumours that Voldemort had been killing muggleborns and muggles all across Britain, and people were believing him. In reality, The Dark Order had no desire to kill muggleborns, only separate them from the muggles, and raise them in the magical world to protect the statute of secrecy.

On the other hand, Voldemort loathed muggles. If he could kill them all he would, but it wasn't logistically possible. He also understood that killing muggles would disgust most of the public, which would turn them away from his cause.

The Dark Lord only killed those who had pitted themselves against The Dark Order. The Purebloods occasionally hunted and killed muggles for fun, however, that was a strictly kept secret. No one was allowed to participate in the hunts without signing strict secrecy contracts.

Dumbledore had created these rumours to keep the public firmly in his control, and The Dark Order was going to have to work hard to change the people's views.

Bellatrix was broken out of her internal musings as she realized Voldemort was close to finishing the song he has been playing.

She walked over to stand behind him, and laced her arms around his shoulders. She buried her face in his soft, wavy hair as he ended the song on a high note.

He leaned back into her chest a little, and sighed contently,

“Happy birthday Bella.”

She smiled into his hair, surprised that he had remembered, given the billion other things he had to worry about every day as the leader of a revolution.

“Thank you My Lord.”

“Come here.”

She walked around to stand in front of him, and he quickly pulled her down to straddle his lap. She gasped a little in surprise as he initiated a powerful, smoldering kiss. Things hadn't been this serious a moment earlier.

The kiss took her breath away, and made her head spin terribly.

He pulled away after a moment, and stood from the piano bench, taking her with him. The look he was giving her was so intense she almost had to look away. His crimson eyes were dark, and swirling like a dangerous wildfire.

The Dark Lord laid her down on the top of the piano, and vanished her black lace nightgown and underwear before casting a contraceptive spell. Bella moaned helplessly as he began sucking and biting harshly on her chest. His beard scraped against her skin as he left marks on her, causing her to arch her back towards him. The pain and pleasure all became a blur, and she was having difficulty staying coherent.

He grabbed her knees and forced them apart as he moved his mouth from her chest, to her stomach, and continued on downward.

She wrenched her eyes shut and moaned loudly as his mouth found her womanhood. She threaded her fingers into his hair as he dragged his tongue around slowly, and used his thumb to circle around her nub.

Her skin was tingling with the intensity of his magic flowing around her, and after a few short minutes, her insides were beginning to tighten.

She felt him pull away for a moment and heard him growl,

“Look at me Bella.”

She forced her eyes open, and looked towards him. His eyes were darker than she had ever seen them, and his lips were shining. She moaned at the sight of him like that, and it sent a shock of arousal straight through her.

Bellatrix watched as he went back to pleasuring her, and gasped desperately as he groaned into her.

“Don’t stop, _please_ don't stop!”

He began moving his thumb more insistently against her, causing he toes to curl, and the tightening in her stomach to reach almost unbearable heights.

He pushed two fingers into her, to aid what his mouth was doing, causing her to snap immediately. She came with the force of an explosion, and moaned his name over and over,

“Ohhh… My Lord, _My Lord.”_

It seemed to go on forever, and as the pleasure subsided, she laid there, a panting, incoherent mess on the piano.

Voldemort stood up straight then, and his hands flew to unbutton his trousers. He didn't bother removing any of his clothing, except for pushing his underwear and trousers down a little, releasing his solid cock.

He pushed into her not a second later and began fucking her so hard the piano moved a little with each thrust. He grasped her hips tightly, and she knew there would be bruises.

Their now identical magic joined together, and swirled around them like a fast moving water current.

This was the first time they had been intimate since the miscarriage. Voldemort had wanted her to take time to heal and relax before he touched her again.

And now… as he stared at her with passion filled eyes, he didn’t hold back. This whole encounter was more heated than any other time before, and it wasn't long before she felt everything begin to tighten within her again.

He felt far too good inside of her, and when she came for the second time, he came with her.

Voldemort threw his head back as he moaned, and pulled her hips snugly against his.

They stayed in that position for a long while, panting as their pleasure subsided. Eventually he pulled out of her, and cleaned both of them up with his wand.

He dragged his fingertips over the marks he had made on her chest and hips, with a strange expression on his face.

“Did I hurt you?”

Bellatrix shook her head,

“No My Lord. Quite the opposite.”

He nodded, and helped her off of the piano, to stand on shaking legs.

Voldemort seemed closed off, and very serious. Bellatrix frowned, and tried to understand what he was feeling through the bond, but it was no use. He had completely blocked her out using Occlumency.

He glanced at her and suggested with an odd expression on his face,

“Why don't we both take showers. I would like to spend the day here, reading and relaxing. I have made plans for your birthday later this evening.

She gave him a small smile as she replied honestly

“A shower sounds wonderful My Lord.”

 

* * *

 

Voldemort was leading Bellatrix down a stone path, towards the surprise he had planned for her birthday.

The moon was shining bright, and the light, cool breeze was blowing gently through his hair. He looked down at Bellatrix, who was dressed in a stunning, maroon lace gown. The fabric flowed elegantly around her as she walked, and the sight of her like this took his breath away.

He forced himself to look away from her as they walked the rest of the way over a small hill.

Bellatrix gasped as the surprise came into view. She turned to him, and gave him a bright smile that made his chest clench with emotion.

“It is beautiful My Lord. Thank you.”

He nodded and bent to kiss her cheek,

“You are welcome Bella.”

Voldemort had reserved an entire vineyard for the evening, which overlooked the deep blue ocean, and the colorful city below them. He had also paid one of the high class local restaurants to serve them a delicious meal of classic Italian cuisine. There was a single table in the stone courtyard, decorated tastefully. Their wine glasses were already full, and their first course was waiting for them as he pulled out her chair for her to sit down. He fixed his bow tie nervously as he sat down across from her, and took a sip of his wine.

He was oddly quiet as they ate, he knew. He could tell he was making her nervous with his strange behavior. Normally they could sit and talk for hours as they drank wine, but right now they only made occasional comments about the food and the view.

As they began eating their dessert, Bellatrix sighed and asked cautiously,

“Is everything alright My Lord? You seem strangely quiet. You have been quiet all day… Have I done something wrong?”

Voldemort cleared his throat nervously, and reached into his pocket as responded,

“No, you have not done anything wrong. Quite the opposite I promise you.”

She frowned in confusion, so he continued,

“I know I said I wasn't going to do this. I probably shouldn't be doing this, but it is what I want. Since the day I realized I was in love with you, I haven't been able to get this idea out of my mind. You are mine Bella, completely mine, and so I want this.”

She shook her head, seemingly more confused than before,

“What is it that you want My Lord?”

The Dark Lord sighed deeply as he stood from his chair, and got down on one knee beside her. He didnt know why he was so nervous, he had no reason to be. She would never refuse him.

He pulled the small, black leather box out of his pocket with hands that were shaking slightly, and opened it. 

Inside, wrapped in black silk, was a magnificent ring. A large square emerald was the centerpiece of this ring, and two slightly smaller, square diamonds on either side of the large emerald. The band itself was made of white gold, completely coated with glittering diamonds.

This ring had been custom made at the end of August by the same wizard jeweler in France, that had created the necklace Voldemort had given her a few months earlier. He had asked the man to create a ring that was impressive, and made a statement, to let all of his people know that she was his forever. The jeweler had not failed him.

The second he opened the small box, Bellatrix gasped and clasped a hand over her mouth. Tears began streaming down her face as he said quietly,

“Bella, you must understand. I never imagine this for myself. I never imagined wanting this. But I do want it desperately. I want you to be my wife. Will you marry me?”

She seemed completely at a loss for words, but she nodded quickly, and leaned forward to kiss him. He sighed happily as he cupped her face in his hands, and kissed her passionately.

He pulled away after a minute, and took the ring out if the box, before placing it on her left ring finger.

Bella observed the ring more closely, and smiled brightly. That smile took his breath away, and he leaned in to kiss her once more. He dragged his tongue over her lips, and then the roof of her mouth when she allowed him access. He would never be able to get enough of this woman who was to be his wife.

When he pulled away again they were both completely breathless. Bellatrix smiled at him and said honestly,

“When you said you had made plans for tonight, this was not what I had imagined My Lord. This is more than I had dared to hope for.”

Voldemort chuckled as he stood from his kneeling position. He flicked his wand over to the radio in the corner, turning on a slow waltz, and held his hand out to her.

She took it happily, and he swept her elegantly into his arms. He smirked as he said,

“Hmmm… Lady Slytherin. I do rather like that.”

She laughed and shook her head,

“I can't believe this. I never thought you would want this.”

“I am still not quite sure why I want this, but I do. I haven't been able to get it out of my mind. I had the ring made weeks ago, and was planning to ask you a while ago. However, I decided to wait after the miscarriage occurred.”

Bellatrix nodded in understanding,

“Thank you. This means so much more than you will ever know.”

He kissed her once before saying seriously,

“It will need to be a small wedding. I am a very private man Bella. I do not wish for my followers to all catch a glimpse of my private life.”

She gave him a small smile,

“Of course My Lord. Whatever you want, we will do. I am just happy to be yours.”

He smirked, and watched as she glanced at the ring once more. It looked perfect on her. This woman was to be his wife, and that thought caused him to feel happier than he ever had before.

Voldemort gave her a sly look as he suggested,

“Let's go back to the hotel room Bella. I want to see what you look like when you are wearing only that ring.”

Her jaw dropped a little and her eyes darkened.

“Yes, please. I love you.”

Voldemort crushed his mouth against hers, and apparated them back to their hotel room, to rip that beautiful dress right off of her soft, pale skin.


	12. Small Little Boy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We get a deeper look into Voldemort's character in this chapter (my version of Voldemort, not canon), so I hope you all enjoy! I apologize for taking so long to post for this story. I had a few good ideas for Carpe Omnia and have been busy writing for that story over the past few days.

**September 30th 1970, Black Manor**

 

Lord Voldemort and his future wife were currently walking the winding stone path which led to Black Manor. He had decided that morning to inform Druella and Cygnus of their daughter's engagement. It was the least he could do since he didn’t ask for their permission, not that he needed it as the Dark Lord. However, he did understand how much Bella cared for her parents, and because he loved her, he was doing this for her.

As they neared the manor, he heard Bellatrix sigh,

“I wish we could have stayed in Italy longer. Everything feels so perfect there.”

He gave her a smirk and suggested,

“Who knows Bella… maybe I will buy you a Villa along the coast.”

She gasped and shook her head,

“My Lord that is much too expensive, I could never accept such a thing.”

He just smirked again and didn’t respond. Bella didn’t know it yet, but he was already looking for a Villa along the Amalfi Coast to have renovated to suit their needs. He knew how much she loved Italy, and he wanted a place they could go on holiday without having to deal with muggle hotels. Maybe he would gift her a Villa as a wedding gift if the renovations were finished in time.

Bella knocked when they stepped up to the door, and one of  the Black Manor house elves opened the door to greet them. They house elf squeaked when it saw who was at the door and whispered nervously,

“Lord Master sir, Mistress Bellatrix, Hows may I serves you?”

Voldemort sneered slightly at the ancient looking creature and ordered,

“Show us to Lord and Lady Black.”

The elf nodded vigorously and began leading them down a corridor. After walking for a short while, the house elf gestured towards an open door of a parlour. Voldemort held out his arm for his future wife before entering the room. The Dark Lord walked in with confidence that suggested he owned this manor instead of the Black family.

Cygnus and Druella immediately put down their books and flew to their feet once they saw him. Cygnus looked very surprised as he said,

“My Lord! We were not expecting you, what a wonderful surprise.”

Voldemort waved for them to sit down as he replied,

“How could you have been expecting us Cygnus? We did not tell you we were coming.”

The pair moved to sit across from the Blacks, and picked up the cups of coffee that had been poured for them by the house elf. They each took a sip before he began,

“Let's get straight to the point of why we are here, shall we? Bella and I are engaged to be married.”

Both of their jaws dropped. Out of all the things they were expecting to hear today, their daughter's engagement to The Dark Lord himself was not one of them.

Shock was soon replaced by a mix of fear and happiness as Cygnus said,

“Congratulations to you both! Please, you must let us give you a wedding?”

Voldemort hesitated. If the Blacks planned the wedding, there would be hundreds of people in attendance. Every pureblood and Death Eater in Britain would want to witness the marriage between The Dark Lord and Bellatrix Black, because it was history in the making. It was rare for a Dark Lord to appear, and even rarer still for a Dark Lord to marry. He was a very private man, who hid his emotions and secrets well. The thought of putting his personal life on display in front of hundreds of people made him want to shudder in disgust.

Mercifully, Bella sensed his split second of hesitation, and replied lightly,

“We have not yet decided upon the logistics Father. We will inform you of our decision at a later time.”

Cygnus nodded and smiled,

“Yes of course, of course.”

Druella moved to sit next to Bellatrix on her left side, and picked up her left hand to look at the ring he had given her. Bella’s mother gasped when she saw the impressive ring and breathed,

“Bellatrix… this is absolutely stunning.”

Bella smiled brightly at her mother, and reached to lace her fingers through his, a movement that didn’t go unnoticed by her parents. He could feel the love she felt for him flowing through her skin into his own. It was a feeling that took his breath away nearly every time. It was still hard for him to believe this woman loved him as much as she did, no one had ever loved him before her.

Voldemort forced himself to abandon those distracting thoughts, and engaged Cygnus in a conversation about the current state of the ministry.

The newly engaged couple stayed at the Black Manor until they had finished their coffee. Before biding Cygnus and Druella goodbye.

As they appeared in the entrance hall of Slytherin Castle, he laced his fingers through hers and said,

“Let's go for a walk. I don't feel like spending the day inside.”

Bella gave him a small smile and let him drag her outside into the forest. The sun was shining brightly today, and the weather was cool. He watched as the light breeze caused the leaves to rustle. A sound which he found pleasant and relaxing.

They walked in silence for a long while, enjoying the atmosphere, and each other's company.

“My Lord… if you do not want to accept my father’s offer, what would you like to do for the wedding?”

He was quiet for a few moments, lost in thought. Eventually he shook his head and replied,

“I do not know. If I could have it my way, there would be a private ceremony with only the two of us in attendance. What is it that you want?”

Bellatrix shook her head and gave him a smile,

“I am happy with whatever you decide My Lord. I will just be glad to become your wife.”

Voldemort could sense she was hiding something from him, so he pressed into her mind through their bond, and came across a vision. It was a dream she had imagined over and over again, of the two of them walking arm in arm down the aisle, surrounded by all those in The Dark Order. The women were staring at Bellatrix with jealousy written in their expressions, and the men were staring at their Master in awe. The ceremony was taking place on the edge of Slytherin forest, where they were surrounded by the ancient pine and oak trees, and the reception was held in the moonlit, stone courtyard next to the perfectly manicured gardens.

He pulled out of her mind then and stopped walking,

“Is that what you want Bella? You want a big wedding?”

She turned to face him and looked down at the ground,

“It doesn’t matter what I want My Lord. I am still your servant and I will do whatever pleases you.”

For some reason hearing Bellatrix speak to him that way made his chest twist painfully. He enjoyed hearing his other followers speak to him so submissively, but she was different. She was going to be his wife, and he didn’t want his wife to act like another one of his followers.

“Bella look at me.”

She looked at him immediately, with worry in her eyes. The Dark Lord shook his head and cupped her face in his hands,

“You are going to be my wife. I am engaged to an intelligent, and powerful woman, not a servant. If our marriage is going to be a happy one, you must treat me as your husband, not your Master. I do not want to marry a servant.”

Bellatrix seemed both surprised, and happy hearing his declaration, so he continued,

“If you want a big wedding, then you shall have a big wedding. Write to your father and inform him of our decision. Tell him the wedding will occur here at Slytherin Castle.”

She looked at him with wide eyes and asked,

“Are you sure My Lord? I know you didn't want a big wedding… I want you to be happy.”

Voldemort kissed her forehead and murmured,

“As long as I am with you, I am happy. Send a letter to your father.”

 

 

* * *

 

**October 7th 1970, Malfoy Manor, The Dark Order’s Conference Room**

 

“Are you ready for the meeting?”

Bellatrix nodded. The Inner Circle was meeting today to discuss plans for their large scale attack against the ministry. They had not made a move against the Light in over a month, allowing the people of Wizarding Britain to feel safe and secure for the first time since the beginning of the war.

The Daily Prophet had written several days earlier about the possibility of Lord Voldemort having given up his cause, after realizing he couldn’t stand up to the might of the ministry. The Dark Lord had found that article to be very amusing, and they couldn’t wait to put an end to the ministries confidence regarding the war.

Lord Voldemort and Bellatrix were currently walking towards the conference room where the rest of the Inner Circle was waiting for them.

Bellatrix stopped walking when she felt his hand on her shoulder. She turned around to look at him, and noticed the thoughtful expression on his face. He stared at her for a long while, seemingly deep in thought. Eventually she frowned and asked,

“Is something wrong My Lord?”

A look of determination came across his face then, as if he had reached a decision. He reached for her left hand, and dragged his thumb across the ring he had put there. He bent down, and placed a kiss on her lips before he said,

“I want you to sit on my left side today during the meeting.”

Her eyes widened comically as she realized the seriousness of that statement. The seat to the left of the king or leader was reserved for their consort. He wasn’t just asking her to be his wife, he wanted her to rule with him. He wanted her to be The Dark Lady.

Bellatrix felt abruptly nervous then. Being his consort meant that she would always appear by his side in public once he had taken over Britain. She would travel with him on diplomatic missions, and represent him. The very last thing she wanted to do was fail or embarrass him.

He must have sensed her unease through the bond, because he tightened his hold on her hand and said,

“You have nothing to fear My Love. You were born to stand by my side. You were born to be my wife.”

She gave him a small, shy smile as she replied,

“It is just that you deserve the best of everything, and I do not know if I can give that to you. I do not know if I am worthy of this role.”

The Dark Lord surprised her then by pinning her to the wall with his body flush against hers.

“Don’t you understand Bella, that you are everything? I was never once interested in a woman before you, and there will never be anyone else except for you. Only you are capable of playing this role.”

He crushed his mouth against hers then for a few short moments, before pulling away and stepping back from the wall. Bellatrix’s head was spinning madly as she breathed,

“You know… you make it rather difficult to think straight when you do that My Lord.”

He chuckled quietly and held out his arm for her. She stepped away from the wall and took the offered arm, before they walked the rest of the way down the corridor into the conference room. Everyone stood as they entered, and looked to where her arm was linked with The Dark Lord’s. The only person who did not seem surprised by this was her father.

Marius Nott was already seated in his spot to Voldemort’s left. He had earned that place as a member of The Dark Lord’s first Inner Circle. The man seemed very surprised, but not upset as Voldemort waved his hand and signaled for him to move down once seat. Once the seat was open, she released his arm, and watched as he flicked his wrist, using wandless magic to pull back her chair for her. She sent him a small smile of thanks as they both sat down.

He then made a show of picking up her left hand off of the table, and brushing his lips over her engagement ring while he stared directly into her eyes. She blushed furiously when she heard several gasps from around the table. He obviously wasn't planning on keeping any of this a secret for any measurable period of time.

Voldemort then placed her hand gently back down on the table, and turned to face his followers.

“Abraxas, give us an update on the Ministry.”

Abraxas cleared his throat and began his report,

“The ministry has calmed down drastically since you stopped all attacks. Security has relaxed, and the people of Britain no longer fear you. They believe the ministry has you under control.”

The Dark Lord smirked as he purred,

“Wonderful. This is exactly what we wanted. Now is the perfect time to strike and inform our world the ministry is not capable of standing against me.”

He was silent for a few minutes, and Bellatrix knew he was piecing together a plan in his head. They all waited patiently until he spoke again.

“Rodolphus, Dolhov, and Rabastan. I need you to kill Marcus Brooks, Riley Ward, and David Case. Bring their bodies here to the manor. Each of them are Light wizards, and supposedly exemplary ministry employees, while in reality each of them live a disgusting and despicable life. It is time we begin changing the public’s opinion of the world around them. Once they have been brought here, we will move onto the next phase of my plan, which will include stringing them up in the ministry atrium. Then, we shall take photographs and send them to the Daily Prophet, along with an article written by me explaining why these three men deserved to die. We will use our contacts working for the Prophet to ensure the article is published. Not only will this event work towards changing the public opinion on magic, it will also show them we are capable of infiltrating the ministry with little difficulty. Wizarding Britain’s feeling of security will be ripped away, and they will never trust their ministry again.”

Bella couldn’t help the smile that appeared on her face. Her fiancé was a truly brilliant man, and she admired that about him.

As if sensing her thoughts, he turned to look at her and sent her a wink so quickly she almost missed it. She blushed fiercely, and noticed Rodolphus smirk at her from a few seats down the table.

The Dark Lord stood from his seat, immediately followed by the rest of the Inner Circle. He looked at each one of them before saying,

“You are all dismissed.”

He turned and left the room then. Bella knew he had paperwork to finish while they were here in Malfoy Manor. She watched him go, until she felt someone grab her hand and pull her from the room. She quickly realized it was Rodolphus, and grinned as he led her into an empty drawing room.

He closed the door behind them and smiled as he hugged her,

“Congratulations Bellatrix, I am incredibly happy for you. It is sort of terrifying that one of my best friends is marrying a Dark Lord. But I see the way he looks at you. He has always hid his emotions well, better than anyone I have ever met actually, which is unsurprising given that he is a Dark Lord, and yet, very time he looks at you I can see a glint of love in his eyes. I hope the two of you will live a long and happy life together.”

She returned his hug and replied,

“Thank you Rodolphus. He makes me happy.”

Her friend released her and smirked as he looked down to her,

“Yes I can see that in the blush that appears on your face when you look at him. Especially after he winks at you.”

Bellatrix felt her face heat up again, causing Rodolphus to laugh at her. She decided to change the subject and asked,

“How is Severus?”

He smiled broadly and said happily,

“My father has approved of Severus, since he is from the Prince line. I have officially started courting him.”

She returned his smile,

“Congratulations Rodolphus, I hope everything continues to go well.”

“Thank you Bellatrix, well… we should probably be going now. Our Lord is probably wondering where you are, good day My Lady.”

She swatted his arm and scolded him,

“I am not married yet, so I am not your Lady. Good day Rodolphus.”

She sent him one last smile and left the room to find her future husband.

Bellatrix knew he was probably in his office, so she walked to the second floor of the manor and knocked on his office door. The door swung open a few seconds later, and she saw him standing in front of the large window behind his desk. He was looking outside, so she shut the door behind her before walking up behind him and wrapping her arms around his waist, and resting her cheek against his back. She breathed in his comforting scent and whispered,

“Thank you.”

“What for?”

“For trusting me, loving me, asking me to marry you, and making me your consort. I know this hasn’t been easy for you. You never believed you would be capable of loving anyone, and you never imagined yourself getting married. I… I know the abuse you experienced when you were younger affects you more today than you care to admit. I can tell sometimes that it hurts you when I tell you I love you, because you don’t believe you deserve to be loved. You are afraid that someday I will no longer love you.”

He sighed deeply, and tipped his head against the glass off the window. Bella felt his pain and uncertainty through the bond, so she unwrapped her arms from his waist, and rubbed her hands on his back soothingly as she reassured him

“You deserve to be loved, and my love for you is never ending. I am yours, and I love you more than anything in this world. I will always be yours and yours alone. You do not have to be afraid of losing me because that will never happen.”

He was silent for a long while, as she felt conflicting emotions rage through him. Eventually he turned to look at her, and cupped her face in both of his hands. He stared down at her with tortured crimson eyes, and Bella nearly gasped at the vulnerability she saw in his expression.

Bellatrix knew there was a small part of him, a part which he tried desperately to keep buried, that was still a small, scared, and abused little boy. A little boy who longed for attention, acceptance, and love. Nearly all of the decisions he had made during his life were meant to distance himself from that little boy, to prove to himself that he wasn’t weak anymore. Voldemort working to become the best student Hogwarts had ever seen, becoming a Dark Lord, and starting a war to take over wizarding Britain…  all of his choices were driven by his desire to crush that little boy, and be noticed by the world. He had even convinced himself that he wasn’t capable of love in order to avoid disappointment.

Admittedly, he had been born to play this role. Despite his past, he was a truly intelligent and admirable man. A man who had hundreds of followers who worshiped him and his brilliant ideas for the world.

Bellatrix loved this man with all that she was. She loved the strong, brilliant leader, and the small little boy. She would always love him.

 

* * *

 

As Voldemort looked down into her eyes, he felt nearly overwhelmed by how much she loved him. She understood him when no one else before her had been capable of doing so.

Bella knew there was a part of him who was still the abused boy at the orphanage. He could see it all in her mind. She knew the worst parts of him, and still loved all of him. Despite his success in life, there was still a portion of him that feared it would all be taken away from him. He feared that someday Bellatrix would be stolen from him, or would fall out of love with him. But after hearing her reassurances, he truly believed her when she said she would never stop loving him.

That realization made his chest ache.

No one had ever loved him before her, and part of him still could not accept or understand her love. The one thing he did understand however, was possession, and Bella was wholly and completely his. She seemed to understand this as well, because when he touched his forehead to hers and whispered,

“Mine…”

She nodded quickly and replied,

“Yes, yours.”

Voldemort kissed her hard then, completely unable to stop himself. He pushed her backwards towards the chaise lounge on the other side of his office, and hissed again,

“ _Mine,_ ”

He crushed his mouth to hers before she could respond, and pushed her further backwards until she fell onto the lounge. He _needed_ to claim her, to make her completely and utterly _his._ He needed to devour her until all she could think about was _him_.

He pulled her dress over her head, and ripped her underwear from her body. He was thankful he no longer needed to worry about contraceptive spells because of the potion she had taken the day they returned from Italy. The Dark Lord quickly disposed of his own clothing and pushed her down until she was laying flat, and moved to cover her body with his.

He kissed her hard enough to bruise, and his desire for her was burning around them like a wildfire. He kissed her to consume her, and she _wanted_ to be consumed by him. Bellatrix wanted to be possessed by him just as much as he wanted to possess her.  

Her body fit his perfectly, like she was his other half. The way her arms wrapped around his shoulders, and they way her legs intertwined with his own… it was divine. Never before had there been two people so _meant_ for one another.

He grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled hard to expose her neck to him. He latched on like a vampire, sucking and biting harshly to leave marks on her beautiful skin. He wanted to mark every inch of her to show the world who she belonged to.

Bella gasped in pleasure, a heavenly sound falling from her lips. She used her legs to pull him down to her, to lure him inside of her. She is so beautiful, and so ready for him.

Before he gives in, he rips his mouth from her neck and growls,

“Beg me to take you, tell me who you belong to.”

She takes his face in her hands and pleads,

“Please, _please_ take me, own me. I am yours, only yours, forever.”

He stares into her glittering dark eyes as he sinks into her slowly, deeply, unable to hold off any longer. He sinks until he is completely sheathed inside of her, relishing in the heat surrounding him. He began a steady rhythm of filling her, and leaving her, before filling her again. Like ocean waves crashing leisurely on the shore.

Voldemort returns to kissing her roughly, and grinds deeper within her, causing her to shudder and whimper into his mouth. _This_ was what he needed. He needed to coax those sounds from her, to kiss her, to make her completely his.

Their climaxes weren’t explosive or firey as they so often were. Instead, they were deeply, reassuring, and satisfying, like cool water flowing over them on a hot day.

As the pleasure subsides, he collapses onto her, still buried within her as he buries his face in the crook of her neck. He feels at peace, as if some of his fears had finally been laid to rest after so many years. He feels Bella run her fingers through his hair soothingly, and he whispers one last time,

“Mine…”

She sighs contently and nods,

“Yes yours. Only yours for as long as I live. I would rather die than belong to anyone else.”

Bella speaks with such conviction that he believes her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! The next chapter will be more focused on the war than their relationship for those of you who prefer that. Thank you for reading!


	13. Citizens Of Britain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for not posting for this story in awhile! I have been busy writing Arcana Imperii.

**October 10th 1970, Malfoy Manor, The Dark Lord’s private office**

 

Lord Voldemort was signing paperwork in his office in Malfoy Manor when he heard someone knock on his door. 

“Come in.”

Rodolphus Lestrange entered quickly, and bowed low before he reported,

“My Lord, I have come to inform you that we were successful in our mission. Marcus Brooks, Riley Ward, and David Case are all dead, and their bodies are currently in the dungeons.” 

Voldemort smirked hearing this. Now they could move forward with their plans for the ministry.

“Excellent. Discretely inform my followers working as security guards this evening that the operation shall take place tonight at midnight. Tell them to be prepared for us. You may go.”

Rodolphus bowed deeply once again, and murmured ‘My Lord’ before he turned to leave. 

The Dark Lord looked back down at the documents on his desk, reading through each one carefully, despite how mind numbingly boring they all were. He had almost finished sifting through the pile of documents when the corner of a letter caught his eye. He pulled the letter from the pile, and smirked slightly when he recognized the blood red seal, containing a dagger being held by a skeletal hand. Voldemort opened the letter without hesitation, and read carefully,

 

_ The Dark Lord, _

_ Congratulations, my old friend. News of your engagement has reached the my clan here in Romania. I have to admit… I never imagined there would be a day when I would be saying those words. Your chosen mate must be quite impressive to have gained your attentions so thoroughly. My mate and I will be in attendance to the wedding under glamours. We do not want to miss such a monumental event.  _

_ I did not write to you only to congratulate you. I have news that I believe you will find to be most beneficial. The vermin vampire clans in Britain have become rather restless over the past two decades regarding the laws put in place by the ministry, and I believe they would be open to negotiations concerning the war. If they join you, and die in battle, you will have my gratitude. There numbers have grown over the past few centuries, and the True Born Vampires have grown tired of their filth roaming our world.  _

_ In addition, I wish to invite you and your mate, along with a small delegation to come to Romania. It has been too long my friend, and I believe a conversation on our world's current events could be beneficial to both parties. Britain is not the only country where the Light has taken control. Eventually, the Dark will fade into nothingness if something is not done. Britain is just the first step Lord Voldemort. There is still much to be done once that obstacle has been overcome.  _

_ I look forward to seeing you again my old friend, and once again, congratulations. _

_ Lord Lysimachus Acciai,  _

_ True Vampire Lord of the Vulcan Citadel  _

 

Voldemort read the letter over again several times, wondering what his old mentor had in mind after Britain was conquered. The Dark Lord knew the Vampire Lord was serious. After living in the Vulcan Citadel during his travels, he had gotten to know the ancient Lord rather well. Was he hoping for another world war? 

The more he thought about it, the better the idea sounded. Once he was in control of Britain, he would need allies to prevent other countries from turning against him. The large majority of countries in Europe were strictly Light magic practitioners, and would not be willing to form alliances with the Dark Lord himself. Dark witches and wizards were forced to hide in the shadows much like they were in Britain, and surely he could convince them to turn against their leaders. Voldemort could be extremely persuasive when he needed to be, and there weren't many who were capable of refusing him. Perhaps he would accept the Vampire Lord’s offer to travel to Romania, to discuss the details more in depth after the wedding.

His thoughts were interrupted by someone knocking urgently on his office door. He frowned as he looked in that direction, wondering what could possibly be that important, and ordered sharply,

“Enter.”

Corbin Yaxley burst through the door looking very disheveled compared to his normal appearance. His chest was heaving as he desperately tried to catch his breath,

“My Lord, please forgive my intrusion… but we have a serious problem.”

Voldemort scowled deeply and asked,

“What on earth is the matter?”

“The aurors are on their way here now with a warrant to search for any evidence pertaining to the Dark Order, and any Dark artefacts. They are searching for any information on your whereabouts. I overheard them speaking to one another at the Ministry. We have maybe 15 minutes to completely clear the manor.”

The Dark Lord swore under his breath and yelled,

“Pinky!”

The Malfoy house elf appeared a moment later, and he barked harshly,

“Inform all of the Death Eaters currently in the manor to leave, because the manor is about to be raided. Tell them they must take all information pertaining to our movements with them, and tell them to bring it to Lestrange Castle for safekeeping. Inform all the other house elves to remove all Dark artefacts, and prisoners, and take them to Lestrange Castle as well. There can be nothing left here for them to find. Lock the prisoners securely in the Lestrange dungeons, and clean out the cells here. There can be no evidence that we had ever kept anyone down there. ”

Pinky nodded quickly and popped away to carry out his orders. Voldemort turned to Yaxley and said,

“Go to the conference room, and make sure there aren’t any documents lying around for them to find. Clear all traces of Dark Magic from the room, and from the dungeons as well. If you are still here when the aurors arrive, just tell them you were visiting your friend Abraxas. They do not have any evidence against you, so you needn’t worry. Now go.”

Yaxley nodded and ran from the room in a hurry. 

Voldemort pulled an extendable bag out of his desk, and summoned all of his belongings from the office. He cast several charms to make the office look as if it hadn’t been used in many years, and removed all traces of his magic. He then reached out to Bella through the bond and asked,

_ Where are you?  _

There was a pause, and he felt slight confusion from her as she responded,

_ I am at home. Is something wrong? _

_ Malfoy Manor is being raided soon. Don’t leave Slytherin Castle, I will be there soon. _

He sensed worry from her, but he did not say anything else as he walked through the corridors of the manor. The place was in chaos as everyone scrambled to remove all evidence and leave as quickly as possible. As he reached the apparition point outside of the manor, he apparated home to Slytherin Castle. 

Bella was waiting for him in the entrance hall with a worried expression on her face. She approached him, and wrapped her arms around him as she asked,

“Are you alright?”

He returned her embrace, and  bent down to kiss her forehead, before he smirked,

“Of course I am alright. You worry too much darling.”

She sighed as she nodded,

“You are probably right. What happened?”

“Yaxley overheard the aurors at the Ministry speaking about raiding Malfoy Manor, looking for any information about the war. We completely cleared the manor of all evidence before we left, so they should not find anything.”

“Malfoy Manor won’t be safe enough to use as a headquarters now, because they could raid again at any time. What are you going to use as a base from here on out?”

Voldemort sighed deeply,

“We will have to use Slytherin Castle as our headquarters, as much as it pains me to say it. This is one of the only locations in our possession that is completely unknown by those in the Ministry. I will be warding off all areas of the castle except for the entrance hall, library, and hidden rooms for my followers to use. I will place extra strong wards at the base of the North Tower as an extra precaution.”

“What hidden rooms are you talking about?”

“Near the back of the library, there are several rooms hidden behind the wall. The rooms could be used to hold meetings, and store our information safely. If by some chance this castle is discovered in the future, they will never find any information on the Dark Order.”

She nodded in understanding and asked,

“What about the mission to break into the Ministry? Will that still be happening?”

“Yes. It will be happening tonight actually. Rodolphus and the others successfully acquired the targets. We are ready. I will not wait to strike just because they decided to raid Malfoy Manor. They won’t find anything, so there is no reason why we shouldn’t do it.”

“Of course you are right. The Ministry needs to understand that they are not as in control as they may believe.”

He gave her a small smile,

“You are exactly right. We will be leaving late tonight to make our move.”

“Do you already have the article finished for the daily Prophet to publish tomorrow morning?”

Voldemort’s smile turned into a wicked smirk as he replied,

“Yes, it is finished. You will be in charge of taking pictures for them to publish along with the article Bella. Bring a camera.” 

 

* * *

 

**October 10th 1970, Lestrange Castle**

 

Bella was standing next to her future husband, watching as Rodolphus and Dolohov dropped the bodies of the three Ministry employees carelessly on the ground in front of them. The bodies landed with a thud, and the two Death Eaters looked to their Master for instructions. 

Voldemort seemed particularly excited tonight. Bella could see the sadistic light in his eyes, and the dangerous smirk playing on his lips. He couldn’t wait to destroy the wizarding population’s perceptions of the Ministry, she knew. 

The Dark Lord circled the bodies and said,

“Come, they should be ready for us now. Put on your masks.”

Bellatrix slid on her Death Eater mask, as he walked over to her, and took her hand in his own to apparate to the Ministry. They appeared in a dark alley way near the entrance to an abandoned building. This was a secret entrance to the Ministry that they had found on a very old set of blueprints. This door had been eliminated from the modern version of the blueprints, so it was completely unknown by those currently working for the Ministry. 

Rodolphus, Rabastan, Dolohov, Yaxley, and Abraxas all apparated in behind them a few short seconds later with quiet pops. Voldemort released her hand as he walked gracefully over to the metal door, and knocked three times slowly. 

The metal door opened inward a moment later, and the lower ranking Death Eater working as an auror bowed low in greeting.

“My Lord, we are all in position. Everyone is well aware they will have to be  _ Stupefied  _ so suspicions are not raised.”

The Dark Lord nodded, and said quietly,

“Good. Show us the way.” 

The Death Eater bowed again, before turning on his heel and disappearing into the dark building. Voldemort took her hand again, and pulled her after him into the building. She smiled slightly at his protectiveness. After she had been kidnapped, and then injured in a way that caused her to lose their child, he had been fiercely protective of her. He never allowed her to wander very far from him when they were in possible dangerous situations. Bella enjoyed his protectiveness because it reminded her just how much he cared for her. 

She walked by his side, clutching his much larger hand as they walked through many dark and twisting corridors. After a long while, they reached a lift that looked as if it were ready to fall apart completely. The doors were dented, and dirty, and the lights were flickering strangely. Bellatrix frowned as she asked in a whisper,

“Does it even work? It is falling apart?”

Voldemort seemed to be wondering the same thing, because he looked to the young auror for an answer. The auror shifted awkwardly and said,

“Yes it works, we just glamoured it to look this way in order to keep it hidden.” 

She nodded, and watched as the man pushed a button. The lift door opened a moment later, and they all entered it silently. The interior was in much better condition than the exterior had been, thankfully. 

Bella’s fiance tightened his grip on her hand, before releasing in completely, and ordering her to take out her wand. She did so immediately, and waited patiently for them to finish descending into the Ministry for Magic. 

It was about thirty seconds later when they came to a halt, and the doors opened. Once they stepped out into an empty corridor, the auror turned to them and said 

“There are five aurors on duty tonight, and three of them are Death Eaters. They are all standing guard in the Ministry atrium right now, since they believe that is the only way to enter the building. To reach the atrium, you go to the very end of this corridor, then turn left, and turn left again at the second corridor you see.”

Voldemort nodded,

“Very good. Return to your post so they do not suspect you.”

The auror bowed deeply, and turned to leave. They waited several minutes until they were sure he had returned to his station, and began following the directions he had given them. It wasn’t long before they reached the black tile atrium. Rodolphus and Dolohov dropped the three bodies they had been carrying with levitation spells, and walked slowly out into the atrium to get the aurors attention since stealth wasn’t an option from their current location. 

The aurors immediately spotted them, and one of them yelled,

“Hey what are you doing here! Get over here now!”

Dolohov and Rodolphus ignored the order completely, and cast Dark spells in the directions of the approaching aurors. The same one who had spoken earlier shouted in disbelief,

“They are Death Eaters! Arrest them now!”

All of the aurors began casting spells at the two Death Eaters, but she could tell only two of the aurors were trying hard to succeed. The others were all casting spells that were easily deflected. Rodolphus and Dolohov  _ Stupefied  _ the two Light aurors, and the others immediately stopped fighting and lowered their wands. The rest of them stepped out of the shadows then, and Voldemort  _ Stupefied  _ the remaining aurors to give them a cover story. 

Once they were all down he ordered,

“Abraxas, Yaxley, levitate the bodies over to that archway, and Rabastan conjure three robes to hang them.”

The Death Eaters didn’t hesitate to walk across the atrium to the grand archway located directly in the center. Rabastan conjured the three robes as ordered, and tied them into nooses. Once they were ready, Abraxas and Yaxley levitated the bodies into the nooses and dropped them, causing the rope to tighten around their necks instantly. Rabastan then cast a spell to shorten the ropes so that they were high above the ground, high enough to be seen from every corner of the atrium. 

Bellatrix took out the wizard camera from her robes, and took multiple pictures of the bodies. She took several pictures of their faces up close, then a picture of all three bodies from a few feet away, and finally, she walked to the far side of the atrium to get a picture of the bodies from a distance. This final picture made the bodies resemble silhouettes in the distance, and she knew this picture would most likely be the one used for the Daily Prophet. 

She walked back towards the group, and handed the pictures to Voldemort. He gave a wicked smirk and said,

“Excellent. Rabastan, I need you to find a way to get this to our associate with the Daily Prophet, along with the article I wrote. I want to see this on the front page tomorrow morning.” 

Rabastan nodded,

“Of course Master. I will do it immediately after we leave the Ministry.”

The Dark Lord looked at the bodies thoughtfully, before he approached them again. He cast several spells on them, and Bellatrix nearly gasped at the amount of power she felt radiating from him. She doubted there was a limit to his power, it seemed to be never ending. 

He walked up beside her, and laced his fingers through hers. She looked at him curiously and asked,

“What did you cast?”

He smirked, and his eyes were full of amusement as he stated,

“I cast spells to prevent them from decaying, and to prevent the Ministry from taking the bodies down in the morning. They will not be able to remove the bodies for a full week. Everyone will be forced to see the faces of these despicable men for the entire week.”

She shook her head and smiled. If anyone deserved to be humiliated in such a way, it was these three men. 

The other Death Eaters chuckled quietly, and Voldemort turned to face them,

“We must leave now before someone else comes.”

They all turned and walked gracefully towards the way they came, feeling anxious to read the next morning's paper.

 

 

* * *

 

**October 11th 1970, Slytherin Castle**

 

**_Three Ministry Workers Found Hung In The Ministry Atrium!_ **

_ Early this morning the bodies of Marcus Brooks, Riley Ward, and David Case, members of the DMLE were found hanging from the archway in the Ministry atrium. The aurors who were on duty last night were also found lying on the floor unconscious due to the stunning spell. Once revived, the aurors explained that multiple Death Eaters found their way into the Ministry last night, and proceeded to attack them.  _

_ The question we would all like an answer too, is why were these three men targeted? Well we have an answer for you ladies and gentlemen. Imagine our surprise when we found a letter from You-Know-Who himself this morning in our office! He explained his reasoning for this gruesome attack, which we have decided to share with all of you today:  _

**_“Citizens of Britain, you have been severely misinformed about the war you are currently fighting. There are those among you, who have been withholding the truth about my cause, and lying to you about what I truly stand for. I do not seek to kill muggleborns, or spill magical blood. I do not seek to skill muggles, and destroy everything that stands in my way. I do not wish to force all children of this glorious country to practice Dark Magic. My goals are much less malicious than what you have been told._ **

_**Instead of killing muggleborns, I wish to integrate them into magical society at a younger age, so they do not feel lost when they attend Hogwarts at age eleven. I wish for equal rights for all practitioners of magic, whether they be Dark, Light, or Gray. I wish to strengthen the statute of secrecy to protect us from the muggles and their weapons.** _

**_Many of you have been told from a young age that Dark magic was evil, and wrong, but you were lied to once again. Dark magic is capable of both harming, and healing people, just like Light magic. The reason this fact was hidden to you, was because the Light wants control. They want to own you, and shape your mind to fit their values, instead of allowing you to make your own decisions. I ask that the magical people of this country take the time to do their own research on Dark magic to find out for yourselves. Don’t allow the Ministry and their lies to control you._ **

**_As for strengthening the statute of secrecy, this is important to our safety as a people. You have been told that muggles are kind, and harmless, and this may be true for some individuals. However, as a whole, muggles can be dangerous. They have weapons capable of destroying our entire country in a matter of seconds, and we would be completely unable to stop them. Muggles fear what they do not understand, and they would not understand us. They would fear our power if they discovered us, and they would seek to control us or eliminate us entirely. Do you wish for your children to become experiments for muggle scientists in their laboratories? I think not. Abuse rates among muggleborns are much higher than other magical children, because their muggle parents fear their abilities. Once again, if you do not believe my claims, do your own research and find out for yourselves._ **

**_Citizens of Britain, it is time you open your eyes to what is going on around you. You have been told so many lies throughout your lives, especially by those in the Ministry who are meant to take your well being into consideration. Marcus Brooks, Riley Ward, and David Case were all employees working for the DMLE, and they each lived a secret life. Mr. Brooks earned his place hanging from the archway by participating in the muggle sex slave trade. He sold children, young girls and boys to any who were willing to pay his price. Mr. Ward abused his own family every night when he came home drunk from work. He beat his own young children until they were bloody, and had to go to St. Mungo's. He then blamed it on his innocent neighbor who is now serving a life sentence in Azkaban for crimes he did not commit. Mr. Case is supposedly an exemplary employee and citizen, but what you do not know, is that occasionally after work, he visits the prostitutes of knockturn alley, and when he is finished with them, he kills them and hides their bodies._ **

**_These disgraces to mankind deserved to be hung for their crimes, and if you do not believe me, force your auror department to open an investigation to find the truth. You will soon learn that I have not lied to you._ **

**_Open your eyes. Do not allow them to hide the truth from you any longer. Perhaps you should reconsider who the real enemy is before you fall into their traps. I do not want to destroy our country, I want it to prosper. I am determined to return this country to its proper glory, and the sooner you stop fighting against me, the sooner our world can begin improving._ **

**_-Lord Voldemort_ **

 

Bellatrix smiled as she set down the morning paper, and looked over to her future husband. He returned her smile and asked,

“Well, what did you think?”

“I believe you are going to make them think for themselves for once. Although, I am not sure if this is enough to change their opinions of you right away.”

Voldemort nodded in agreement,

“You are right. They are too stubborn, and those who do their own research probably will not accept their findings because it will go against everything they know. We will have to continue publishing articles to change their opinions of us. It will take time.”

Bellatrix nodded, and they both ate in content silence for awhile. Once they had finished, they both retired to the library to read for an hour or so. As voldemort laid down with his head in her lap, he said,

“Your father wrote to me yesterday. They have planned the wedding for this coming summer to give them enough time to plan all of the details, and send out invitations.”

She frowned slightly as she admitted,

“That is a long time to wait.”

“Yes it is, but we have already given your parents permission to plan everything. We hardly have time for such things anyways, so allow them to take care of it.”

He took her left hand in his own, and admired the ring he had given her in Italy.

“I must admit, the day you become my wife will be one of the happiest days of my life. Then you shall be mine completely.”

She smiled and ran her fingers through his hair,

“I am already yours completely.”

He grabbed her face and pulled her down to kiss him. She melted into the gentle feel of his tongue sweeping against hers, and when they pulled apart he whispered,

“You are mine, but you do not yet share my last name. Until then, I won’t be completely satisfied.” 

Bella bent to kiss him once more, and whispered against his lips,

“We have less than a year until that happens. Then you shall own me completely.”

He smirked,

“Yes I will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter jumps far ahead into the future for the big wedding!


	14. Eternity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a rather large time jump between the last chapter and this one, so pay attention to that. I hope you enjoy!
> 
>  
> 
> Possible trigger warning.

**July 17th 1971, Slytherin Castle**

 

“You truly look stunning dear.”

Bellatrix smiled brightly at her mother, before turning to view her appearance in the large mirror behind her. Her hair was styled neatly into a chignon at the nape of her neck, and her makeup was perfect. She was wearing a white lace, column shaped wedding gown, with long lace sleeves, and an off the shoulder neckline.

It truly was a beautiful dress, and Bella knew from the moment she first laid eyes on it in France that she was meant to wear it. She only hoped her Lord loved it as much as she did.

Her nervousness must have shown on her face because her mother moved to stand next to her, “Anyone with that capability of sight can see how much he loves you Bella. He is never able to take his eyes off of you for very long when you are both in the same room. He is a cold, and unforgiving man, but he has obviously made a place for you in his life. You have nothing to worry about darling.”

She looked over at her mother and whispered,

“Thank you.”

Both Bella and her mother turned when they heard the door open behind them. Narcissa walked in, carrying a silver velvet box in her hand. The younger girl approached them with a smile on her face, “Bella, your soon to be husband told me to give this to you. He said it is an early wedding present.”

Bella raised an eyebrow, feeling very amused as she asked,

“He told you to give this to me?”

Narcissa nodded shyly and handed her the velvet box, “Yes. I happened to run into him in the library. It was a rather terrifying encounter if I am being honest. He is very intimidating.”

She laughed a little and murmured, “Yes he is.”

Bella brushed her fingertips over the lid of the box, before opening it slowly.

She instantly clasped a hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp at the emerald necklace inside. It was an exquisite design, made of leaf shaped emeralds which would wrap around the right side of her neck elegantly.

Her mother and sister leaned over to see what Voldemort had gifted her, and they each clasped their hands over their mouths. Narcissa looked over to Bellatrix and said,

“It is beautiful Bella. Would you like me to help you put it on?”

Bella nodded silently, and turned around to allow her sister to place it around her neck. Narcissa carefully removed the necklace from the box, and wrapped it around her. Once the silver clasp was closed, Bella gasped quietly. The Dark Lord’s magic was surrounding her in a protective manner. She could feel it flowing just on the surface of her skin, and it made her sigh with relief. The feel of him helped calm her nerves, and reassured her everything would be perfect.

She touched the necklace gently with her fingertips and smiled to herself. She loved that man more than anyone else in the world, and she couldn’t wait to be his forever.

Bella’s thoughts were interrupted when she heard a quiet knocking on the door. She knew it would be her father so she said,

“Come in.”

Cygnus Black opened the door with a smile on his face, and stepped into the room. The smile disappeared once he saw Bellatrix, and his eyes filled with tears. He approached her and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek before he said, “You look beautiful Darling. The Dark Lord is a lucky man.”

“Thank you Father.” Bellatrix said with a smile. “Is everything ready?”

He nodded and complained, “Yes. I have been searching for this room for almost 15 minutes. This castle is much too large. Who knew the Dark Lord lived in such a beautiful place? How do you not get lost walking through the corridors every day?”

“You get used to it.” Bella said with a laugh. “I managed to get lost several times during my first few weeks here.”

Cygnus nodded in understanding and held out his arm, “Shall we Darling?”

Bella took a deep breath to help calm her nerves, and laced her arm with her father’s. He flashed her a little smile before leading her out of the room and through the many corridors.

Once they had reached the doors which lead outside, Cygnus paused, “Are your truly happy Bellatrix? Is this what you want?”

“More than I want anything else in the world Father,” Bella said with complete honesty, “I love him.”

“I can see that Dear. Come, it is time.” He replied.

Bellatrix nodded, and focused on the feel of the Dark Lord’s magic radiating from the necklace to help calm her. Her father turned back towards the doors, and they opened magically as they got closer.

“Wait Bella.”

Bella turned around to see her other sister, Andromeda, holding out a bouquet of white roses.  She took them with a smile, and tightened her hold on her father’s arm. Beautiful music began to play just then, Narcissa and Andromeda began the long walk towards the ceremony. They were both dressed beautifully in silver, flowing dresses, with their hair styled elegantly. Both Bella and Voldemort had decided some months ago they would each only have two bridesmaids and two groomsmen for the wedding. Once Narcissa and Andromeda were out of sight Cygnus began leading her, and together they stepped out into the warm summer air.

They walked slowly around the castle until the large crowd of people came into view. Everyone was dressed in their finest attire for the event of the century. It wasn’t often a Dark Lord married.

They were standing, and staring at her with awe in their expressions, but Bellatrix didn’t have eyes for them, or for the beautiful white decor. Abraxas and Rodolphus, Voldemort’s chosen groomsmen each gave her a reassuring smile, but she barely spared them a glance.

She only had eyes for him.

Bella only had eyes for the man standing on a raised platform at the end of the aisle, dressed in a handsome black and emerald green tuxedo. He was staring at her like she was made of gold, and she felt so much love from him through the bond that she was nearly overwhelmed. Bella had to remind herself to breathe as she continued the long walk down the aisle.

This was it. She was finally going to be bound to him. He was going to be her husband, and she was going to be his wife. Who would have thought just over a year and a half ago they would be in this situation?

Voldemort gave her a small smile as she approached him. So small that it would have been missed by the other guests. Bella knew he wouldn’t allow many of his emotions to show tonight. Despite this being their wedding, he still needed to appear intimidating and untouchable to his followers in attendance.

Bella found she didn’t mind. She loved the warm and gentle part of him, just as much as she loved the cold and unforgiving part. She loved that he was like a god ruling over them all. They worshipped him with every fiber of their beings, just like Bellatrix herself did.

She gave him a loving smile as she stepped up onto the raised platform. Her father took her hand in his, and passed her over to Voldemort. Cygnus bowed slightly to him, before kissing Bellatrix gently on the cheek, and moving to sit next to Druella in the first row.

She sighed with relief as she laced her arm with Voldemort’s. Her magic relaxed instantly, in the way it always did when they touched.

His eyes were glittering strangely as he looked at her, and he bent to brush his lips across her cheek as he whispered so only she could hear,

“You look entirely too beautiful My Love.”

She shivered at the sound of his voice, and forced herself to stay steady as they turned to face the marriage officiant.  

Bellatrix listened carefully as the gray haired man spoke of the her marriage to Lord Voldemort as a powerful, and unbreakable union. One that would withstand any obstacle, whether it be war, sorrow, or time. She listened as he spoke of this day as the beginning of a new era, and she listened as he spoke of the importance of love and trust.

Finally, after speaking for a long while the man looked at them and said, “Now it is time to exchange vows and rings. My Lord, if you would please?”

Voldemort nodded and turned to face her. He took her hands in his and stared into her eyes as he spoke in a smooth, and powerful voice which captivated everyone in attendance.

“Bella, I never imagined wanting this for myself. I never imagined that I would love another human being, or feel the need to marry. But here I am, beside myself with love for you, and completely unable to fathom a life without you. You captured my attention, and found your way into my soul in a way that no one else has been able to do before. You are beautiful, you are fierce, and so I cannot help but love you. I promise you I will spend my life fighting for you, and loving you in every way imaginable. I promise to protect you from harm, and I promise I will do what I can to make you happy.” He gave her a meaningful look as he said determinedly, “I, Lord Slytherin, do so eternally swear my soul to bind with the soul of Bellatrix Black in marriage. So mote it be.”

The crowd gasped as the vow sealed itself, and a white light flashed around them. Bellatrix’s eyes burned as she contemplated the seriousness of his vow. He had just sworn his soul to hers for all eternity. It was the marriage equivalent to an unbreakable vow, and if broken, would result in eternal pain, and eventually death. Originally they had discussed giving simple vows, so not to express too much emotion in front of the Dark Order. But apparently that wasn’t enough for him. He wanted his followers to know she was his, and his alone forever. No one would ever lay a hand on her again unless they wished for death.

Voldemort reached behind him then, and took the ring Abraxas had been holding for him. He slid the shimmering silver and emerald band onto her finger with her engagement ring. “I give you this ring as a token of my love for you.” He said, “I ask you to wear it always as a reminder that you are mine, and I am yours.”

“I promise I always will.” Bellatrix breathed in response.

 _I love you Bella,_ he said in her mind, and it took all of her strength not to cry.   

“Miss Black, if you would please state your vows?” said the officiant.

Bellatrix nodded, and steeled herself as she began,

“My Lord, since the day we first met, I knew I wanted to serve you, and fight for you in every way possible. I have always wanted you to succeed in your goals, and achieve the power you so rightfully deserve. I did not expect that you would fall in love with me, or ask me to marry you, but I am very honored to be standing here today with you. I love you more than any woman has loved a man before, and I cannot imagine a life without you. I promise you, My Lord, I will support you, and fight for you with unwavering loyalty. I promise I will be there, through the good times, and the bad. I promise to do my best to make you happy, and I promise to love you, always.” She paused for a moment before speaking with confidence, “I, Bellatrix Black, do so eternally swear my soul to bind with the soul of Lord Slytherin in marriage. So mote it be.”

Once again, white light surrounded them, and Bella felt a pinch in her chest. She knew then the marriage bond had been completed in that moment. She then reached behind her and retrieved the ring she had made for him in secret. The platinum ring, engraved with silver snakes, contained a single square emerald embedded in the metal. It was distinctly masculine, and expensive, which made it fitting for the Dark Lord himself. He hadn’t been expecting a ring like this she knew. He had expected a simple silver wedding band, but Bella thought he deserved more than that.

Bella gently placed the ring on his finger, noticing the way his eyes widened just slightly in surprise. She was worried he wouldn’t like it, but she could feel his satisfaction through their bond, and knew he liked it very much.

She held his hand just a little tighter as she said, “I give you this ring as a token of my devotion to you. I hope when challenges present themselves, it reminds you that you are not alone.”

Bella gave him a loving smile, and watched as his throat bobbed. He seemed to be struggling to keep his face cold. Despite his words of love, he was still a Dark Lord, and it was important everyone knew that.

The officiant gave them both a warm smile and said, “You have both professed your love for one another by exchanging vows. You have expressed your commitment to one another by exchanging rings. You have sworn your souls to one another for all of eternity in marriage. So now, by the power invested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride, My Lord.”

Lord Voldemort took her completely by surprise when he placed a hand on her lower back to pull her body flush against his own. He kissed her hard. The way he was kissing her was borderline inappropriate for such a setting, and she didn’t quite understand why he would allow his followers to see such an intimate display.

Then she understood.

The way his hand clutched her waist possessively, the way he towered over her, and the way he was so obviously in control of the kiss… it was all a show of dominance. A show of power. He was showing his followers, including Bella’s parents that she belonged to him now. He was showing them all the way he still thoroughly dominated her even though she was his wife.

Bella found she didn't mind at all. He had exposed a part of himself today he had never meant to expose. It was important he displayed his dominance.

The powerful kiss only lasted a few seconds, but it was more than enough to make her knees go weak. As he pulled away from her, she clutched his chest to stay standing upright. “I love you.” she whispered.

“And I love you.” He replied easily.

Everyone present clapped and cheered loudly then, more than a little excited to have witnessed the marriage of the future leader of Wizarding Britain.

The officiant laughed boisterously and said, “Ladies and gentlemen. I now present to you, the Dark Lord and Lady Slytherin. May their marriage remain happy for all eternity.”

 

* * *

 

Lord Voldemort looked down at his beautiful wife, and wished more than anything he could carry her into the castle to remove her stunning gown to kiss every inch of her.

But no, he couldn’t do that just now.

So instead he laced his fingers through hers, and began to lead her down the aisle past the hundreds of his followers and friends who had chosen to attend their wedding.

Just like the vision he had seen in her mind all those months ago, the men were staring at him with awe and admiration in their expressions, while the women were staring at Bellatrix with eyes filled with jealousy. Voldemort suppressed a smirk seeing this. Let them all be jealous, he thought to himself. They were all meaningless compared to her.

It was already later in the evening, so they began moving towards the Slytherin Castle ballroom where the dinner was to take place. The ballroom was decorated elegantly with white and emerald colored banners. The tables contained white roses, and silver decorations. The many doors to the outside had been opened to allow the summer breeze inside, and the orange glow from the setting sun created a calm atmosphere as it cascaded over the ballroom.

Overall, it was a beautiful setting, and Voldemort was impressed. Bella had handed over the planning to Narcissa and Druella, since she was too busy fighting in battles, and attending meetings with him to plan a wedding. He had expected them to go overboard with the decor, but they hadn’t. It was elegant enough to elevate their status’ as the Dark Lord and Lady, but still simple enough so not to be overwhelming.

Today was the very first time he had ever allowed his followers to catch a glimpse of his private life. He liked keeping his private life secret from them. It elevated his status in their minds if they knew nothing about him. It made him appear as a god to them.

Every move he made with his followers was strategic, and today was no different. By allowing the Dark Order to witness his marriage, they would believe he held them in higher esteem. It was a reward, in a way, for the work they had done for him thus far in the war. A reward that would only benefit Lord Voldemort in the long run, because it furthered his followers devotion to him and his cause.

Opening up his home to them all for the evening also gave him the opportunity to solidify his status as the Dark Lord. Slytherin Castle was by far the largest and most impressive structure among England's wealthiest families. Allowing his followers to witness his extensive wealth first hand would only strengthen their loyalty to him.

He had been using the castle as his base of operations for just under a year now, so it wasn’t the first time his followers had seen it in person. However, it was the first time that his follower’s wives and children were seeing the castle. News of his extensive wealth would soon travel across Europe through their wives, which would make him all the more powerful in everyone’s minds.

Voldemort was snapped out of his internal musings when Bella smiled up at him. “What is it My Love?” He asked.

“I can’t believe I am married to you.” She whispered. “This whole situation doesn’t seem real.”

He chuckled quietly in response and lead her to the head table.

Dinner was a tiresome affair, filled with delicious food, and sycophantic speeches and toasts. He was rather glad when it was over.

Now he was holding his wife in his arms, dancing elegantly around the courtyard where floating lanterns cast a relaxing light over the scene. It was their first dance as a married couple so everyone was watching them, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care.

Bella was staring up at him with love in her eyes, and he felt his chest clench painfully seeing that. She was very beautiful, and now she was his in every way.

He cleared his throat a little before he said quietly, “I find myself completely enchanted by you tonight Bella. Thank you very kindly for agreeing to marry me.”

“Thank you for asking me to marry you My Lord.” She replied with a smile.

For some reason then, hearing her call him ‘My Lord’ made him rather uncomfortable. She was the Dark Lady now. She was his wife, and he didn’t want her to call him by that name, at least when they were alone.

He tried to remind himself that he was still her Lord, and that she should still refer to him that way, but he couldn’t keep the words from leaving his mouth, “Bella, I don’t want you to call me ‘My Lord’ anymore when we are alone.”

She frowned up at him and asked, “Then what should I call you? I know of no other name?”

He swallowed hard, and explained slowly, “There was once a time when I wasn’t known as Lord Voldemort… Before I became Lord Slytherin or the Dark Lord, I was known as Tom Marvolo Riddle. I cannot stand the name Tom, but perhaps…”

“Marvolo.” She whispered knowingly. She reached up with one hand to brush her fingers over his jaw, “I like that name. It suits you.”

He smiled down at her then, unable to prevent his affection from showing on his face. That name sounded beautiful coming from her lips, and he found himself hating it a little less.

The dance ended then, and he took a step back from her. He bowed a little and kissed her knuckles as he whispered, “Thank you for the dance Bella. I love you.”

“And I love you Marvolo.” She replied.  

Everyone was clapping then in response to their first dance. As a new waltz began to play, the courtyard began filling with couples who wanted to dance. Voldemort looked down at Bella and suggested, “Perhaps we should speak to the Rosier or Greengrass families.”

Bella looked over to the left of the dance floor towards where Narcissa was standing alone.

“Would it be alright if I spoke to Narcissa for a few moments instead? I want to thank her for everything she did for us today.”

“Of course,” he said. “Just don’t take too long. I do not wish to be separated from my wife for any demonstrable period of time tonight.”

She curtsied and giggled as she nodded, “Of course my dear Husband. I promise I won’t be long.”

He rolled his eyes a little at her teasing, and watched as she walked away towards Narcissa.  

Voldemort himself left the dance floor and approached the Rosier’s who were standing by the drinks table. He picked up a glass of champagne as Evan Rosier bowed,

“My Lord, please allow me to give you my most heartfelt congratulations. Thank you very much for the invitation tonight. It was truly an honor to witness the wedding of the future ruler of the United Kingdom.”

Voldemort was about to roll his eyes at the Sycophantic speech, but before he could a rich, deep voice spoke from behind him,

“Yes it truly was an honor. Where is that beautiful Lady of yours Lord Voldemort? I have been looking forward to meeting her.”

Rosier gasped hearing the person say ‘Voldemort’ out loud, but the Dark Lord just smirked, instantly recognizing the voice.

“Lord Lysimachus Acciai. Vampire Lord of the Vulcan Citadel in Romania. It has been many years since you and I last saw one another.”

He turned around slowly as the Vampire Lord chuckled,“Yes it has. I could not bear the thought of missing your wedding, so I had to come.”

The dark haired Vampire Lord was standing there behind him wearing fine, black silk robes with an honest smile on his face.

Voldemort held out a hand for the man to shake which caused everyone around them to turn and gasp in surprise. They had never before seen their Lord shake another’s hand. The Vampire Lord shook his hand without hesitation, and backed away slightly to bow low. Voldemort also bowed, making sure to maintain eye contact with the Vampire Lord. Bowing was the traditional greeting for the Vampires, and it was important for those of high status to maintain eye contact. Without eye contact you were seen as weak and unimportant, and Voldemort was not weak.

Once they were both standing tall again, Lord Acciai gestured to the woman standing next to him and asked, “Lord Voldemort, do you remember my mate Demetra?”

Voldemort nodded and took her hand to kiss her knuckles politely, “How could I ever forget. It is a pleasure to see you again My Lady. I trust you are keeping your husband in line?”

She chuckled and replied, “Of course I am. We both know how he loves to get into trouble. It is a pleasure to see you again as well My Lord. Congratulations on your wedding, your bride is very beautiful.”

“Thank you. She just went to speak with her sister. Perhaps I should go find her and introduce you to one another,” he said. The Dark Lord glanced around the party then, but he didn’t see her. “They must have gone for a walk. I am not quite sure where she is. I will have to bring her to you once she returns.”

Both leaders of the Vampire realm nodded and Lord Acciai said, “Of course. Have you heard about the current dealings in Russia?”

Voldemort frowned, “No I have not.”

Lord Acciai scoffed, “Well let's just say things are getting interesting. But this is not the best place for such discussions. Perhaps we should move to a more private location.”

The Dark Lord was about to agree when he felt a wave of panic crash over him through the bond. “Something is wrong with Bella,” he said. He looked around for her frantically, and finally decided to use the bond to find her. He concentrated on the feel of her inside of his mind, and used it to trace her. He saw an image of a yew tree and knew instantly she was in the gardens.

He sprinted off in that direction, followed by Lord Acciai, Evan Rosier, and Rodolphus who had all been standing near by.

Men and Women gasped in surprise as the group of four ran through the courtyard and into the manicured gardens. Thankfully, Voldemort knew the gardens well, and was quickly able to navigate his way to the center.

Bella was there, pressed up against a tree with another man’s body flush against her own.

Voldemort felt a wave of fury rip through him like he had never felt before. How _dare_ another man try to touch his wife. How dare someone disrespect him like this on his wedding day.

“ _Crucio!”_ He snarled. The man fell to the ground and screamed in agony. The Dark Lord realized then it was Ares Yaxley who was on the other end of his curse. The boy who dared to touch Bella at the Rosier gathering the previous summer, even though she had clearly told him to leave her alone.

He strengthened his curse for a few more seconds before releasing it. He then turned to Evan Rosier and Rodolphus, “Get this boy out of my sight. Put him on display in the center of the courtyard for everyone to see. I will be there shortly.”

Both of them nodded frantically and used their wand to levitate Yaxley’s quivering body from the gardens. The Dark Lord then hurried over to Bella, who was frozen against the tree. He pointed his wand at her and said “ _Finite_ ,” causing the spell Yaxley had cast on her to end. She collapsed a little then, but he was there to catch her. He held her against him gently and asked, “What happened Bella?”

“Wait… Narcissa..?” she whispered.

Voldemort turned his head a little and saw that Lord Acciai was kneeling beside a stupefied Narcissa. He had _reinnervated_ her, and was now helping her stand.

“She is fine Bella. Tell me what happened.”

“He, he came up from behind us. He _stupefied_ Narcissa and used a _Petrificus Totalus_ on me. Then he said ‘This is revenge. Your husband humiliated me In front of the entire Dark Order. So now I'm going take you as my own.’” She sounded rather distraught then as she continued, “Then… then he pressed himself against me, and was about to kiss me when you arrived. Thank you. I'm so sorry, I should have been prepared. I should always be prepared for battle.”

“Bella shhh…” he whispered soothingly. “Everything is alright. I am going to take care of him. I promised to protect you, so that is what I am going to do.”

He kissed her forehead, breathing in her calming aroma as he did. He couldn't help but feel guilty, and angry with himself then. This wasn't the first time she had been harmed or almost killed because of him. What if one of these days she died during a dangerous battle? Voldemort wouldn't be able to go on without her. She was a part of him now. What if he lost her?

She must have sensed his guilt because she reached up to cup his jaw with one hand and whispered, “Marvolo I am here. I am fine. Nothing that has happened to me has been your fault. We are in war, and sometimes these things happen. What matters is that you got here in time.”

He bent to kiss her then. Just one gentle press of his lips against hers. “We should go back. I have business to take care of.” He said.

She nodded in understanding, so he wrapped an arm around her waist to begin leading her from the gardens. Lord Acciai approached them with Narcissa holding onto his arm and said,

“Well, what an unfortunate event. What are you going to do to the boy Lord Voldemort?”

“I do not know. I cannot kill him, at least not on the night of my wedding.” He held Bella a little tighter and said, “I believe I will put him in the dungeons for tonight, and make an example of him at the next Dark Order meeting.”

The Vampire Lord nodded in understanding before looking towards the Bella, “My Lady, are you alright?”

She nodded and leaned into Voldemort’s chest, “Yes I am alright, thank you for helping my sister.”

Voldemort interrupted them by saying, “Bella this is Lord Acciai, the Vampire Lord of Romania. I mentioned him before.”

She gasped a little and bowed as much as she could given the fact that the Dark Lord refused to release her. “Lord Acciai, what an honor it is to meet you. I have heard so much about you.”

“I have heard many rumours about you myself Lady Slytherin.” He said with a smile, “Your husband is one lucky man.”

“Thank you.” Bella murmured. She then looked to her sister and asked, “Narcissa are you alright?”

“Yes I am fine.” She said with a small smile. “You are the one everyone should be worried about. It is your wedding after all.”

Voldemort placed a light kiss on the top of her head. “Come. I need to deal with this boy.”

Everyone nodded, and together they began walking from the gardens.

Once they entered the courtyard a few minutes later, Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa’s intended rushed over her and pulled her into his arms. Voldemort didn’t pay them any attention. He only had eyes for the boy kneeling in the center of his courtyard with Rodolphus and Evan Rosier standing on either side. A circular crowd had surrounded the boy, wondering what on earth he had done to earn his place on the ground.

The Dark Lord’s face was colder than ice as he led Bella towards the boy. Once they were standing a few feet away, Ares Yaxley looked at them with anger in his expression.

In that moment, Voldemort purposefully pulled Bella against him, and bent to kiss her. He kissed her slowly, with several gentle brushes of his lips against her’s. He wanted Ares Yaxley to see the way Bella looked at him. He wanted the boy to see the way she melted into his kiss. She was his and his alone. No matter how much Ares wanted her, he would never have her.

The Dark Lord pulled away after a long moment, and released her completely. He began circling Ares Yaxley with an unnervingly calm posture. He knew that his calm, silent fury was much more terrifying to his followers than if he were yelling and casting curses.

“Aresss Yaxley,” he hissed. “I forgave you once, for touching what was mine. You touched my wife inappropriately at the Rosier gathering last year, but I forgave you. I allowed you to stay within the Inner Circle because you were a good soldier. Tonight you cast aside my forgiveness in favor of trying to rape my wife out of revenge.”

The crowd surrounding him gasped a little, and whispered in disgusted tones to one another. Voldemort ignored them and continued speaking,

“If this were not my wedding night, I would slice your cock off and shove it down your throat for what you tried to do to her. I would skin you alive, and pour acid all over your body. I would watch you scream in agony, and dissolve into nothing.”

The Dark Lord stopped right in front of the boy. He looked into his eyes and said, “But… this is my wedding night, so I will not do any of those things. I do not wish to make a mess in my courtyard.”

Ares, who had begun to tremble with fear looked slightly relieved to hear that. Voldemort enjoyed seeing that relief in the boy’s eyes, because he was about to take it all away.

“I will not do any of those things to you... tonight,” he said. “However, when I return from my holiday, I will make you beg for death. You are going to regret ever trying to cross me Mr. Yaxley.”

The Dark Lord smirked wickedly as all hope left the boy’s eyes and said to everyone nearby,

“My friends. This is what happens to those who turn against me. I sincerely apologize to the Yaxley family, but Ares here has given me no choice. I forgave him once, but now he has gone too far. The Dark Lady is mine. No one is to touch her ever again.”

Corban Yaxley stepped forward then and said, “My Lord. His crimes against you are unforgivable, so we do not ask that of you. He deserves everything you are going to do to him. As Lord of the Yaxley family, I hereby disown Ares Louis Yaxley, and cast him out. So mote it be.”

Ares Yaxley let out a choked sob then hearing his uncle disown him. Being disowned from a pure blood family was the greatest shame one could bring upon themselves.

“Your loyalty will not be forgotten Yaxley.” Voldemort said. He then looked to Rodolphus and Evan Rosier and said, “Take him into the dungeons. I will have my fun with him in two weeks time.”

They carried the boy away as Voldemort spoke to the group, “Now, I am not about to let this event ruin my wedding night. Everyone please return to enjoying yourselves. Dance, drink, and eat your fill.”

 

* * *

 

 

Voldemort saw Bella standing by the window when he stepped into their bedroom later that night. She was almost unbearably beautiful standing there in the moonlight still wearing her wedding dress.

Despite what Ares had tried to do to her earlier, the celebration continued without a hitch. He had spent the night dancing with her, kissing her, and talking to her. It was honestly the first time he had truly enjoyed himself during a social gathering.

Everyone had left in high spirits an hour ago, and it was now very late in the evening but he didn’t feel tired. He wanted her. He wanted her more than he had ever wanted anything in his life. She was his wife. She was wholly and completely his now, and that thought was nearly overwhelming.

He walked up behind her then, and wrapped his arms around her waist. She leaned back into his chest with a content sigh, and they stood there for a long time like that.

Eventually his need to take her became rather overpowering, so he bent down and whispered into her ear, “I need to be inside of you.”

He felt her shiver in his arms after hearing his words. Bella’s reaction to him made him rather breathless, and he nearly growled when she whispered,

“Please…”

Voldemort took a deep breath and forced himself to stay in control. He wanted to take his time with her tonight. He wanted to savor the woman who was now his wife.

Voldemort stepped back from her, and slowly unzipped her beautiful dress. He pushed it down her body gently, and nearly moaned when he realized she wasn't wearing a bra. He removed her lace knickers before brushing his fingertips over her shoulders and down her arms, causing her to shiver again.

Bella stepped out of the wedding dress that had pooled at her feet and turned to face him. She unbuttoned his suit jacket, and pushed it off his shoulders. The jacket was then followed by his green bow tie, his green and black waistcoat, and stiff black dress shirt. Voldemort kicked off his dress shoes, and socks while she unbuckled his belt and removed his tailored trousers and underwear.

Soon enough, they were both standing there in nothing at all, staring at one another as their shared arousal flowed freely through their bond. He surprised her then by placing a hand behind her back and sweeping an arm under her legs. He lifted her, and carried her towards the bed as if he weighed nothing at all.

“Bella…” He whispered as he set her down gently. She just nodded, seemingly unable to form words at the moment.

Voldemort climbed onto the bed after her and leaned down to kiss her neck. Often times when he kissed her here, he kissed her hard. He normally kissed her hard enough to leave marks, but that wasn’t what he wanted to do to her tonight. He wanted to worship her body, he wanted to show her how much he loved her without speaking.

So instead of sucking and biting harshly, the Dark Lord placed gentle kisses all along her throat. Her skin was soft, and smooth under his lips, and her fingers were delightful as they ran through his hair.

His body was screaming at him to enter her, his cock now almost painfully erect, but he held off. He was going to pleasure her first.

Voldemort kissed his way down her neck, before kissing each of her beautiful breasts, and kissing his way down her stomach. She was now moaning quietly, driven mad by his light touches. That only spurred him on, so he spread her legs and began moving his lips from her left knee towards her womanhood, making sure to drag his lips and teeth over her sensitive skin.

He could hear her panting now and whispering, “Please.. please.”

“Please what? What is it you want Bella, tell me?” He asked with a smirk.

“Please use your mouth on me Marvolo.” She begged.

The use of his old name sent a strange shock of want through him, and he lowered his mouth to her.

He licked and sucked slowly, causing her to arch her back and moan loudly into the bedroom. She was delicious like this he thought to himself. He enjoyed this part of her, he enjoyed the taste of her.

Voldemort placed his hands on her hips when she tried to buck her hips towards him. He held her down and pulled her sensitive nub between his lips. He sucked lightly, once, twice, three times, and then she came. Bella moaned loudly as she came around his tongue, and he couldn’t help but growl then.

He moved back up the bed as she came down from her high and pushed into her gently. He buried his face into her neck as he began thrusting slowly. She was so tight and warm around him that he couldn’t help but moan in pleasure. He had been craving this all day, and now he could finally take her.

Her breath was warm against his own neck, and the feel of the warm air brushing against his skin made him shiver.

She was beautiful, she was deadly, and she was all his. She was his wife.

That thought nearly sent him over the edge, but he managed to stop himself last second. He wanted her to finish again before he found his pleasure.

“Please look at me?” She asked in a quiet voice.

Voldemort raised his face from her neck and looked at her. His crimson eyes meeting her dark brown ones. “I love you,” she whispered. “I love you so much.”

The Dark Lord only nodded and bent to kiss her. He poured all of his feelings for her into it, hoping she would understand.

He continued his slow deep thrusting for a long while, and eventually he could feel her walls clenching around him. He pulled his mouth from her’s to watch it happen. He watched as her face twisted into one of pure bliss.

As she recovered he panted, “You’re, you’re my wife Bella. You are the Dark Lady now.”

“Yes.” she said, “Yes, I am your wife, and you are my husband, forever.”

Her words sent him over the edge then, and he pulled her hips snugly against his own as white hot bliss shot through him. His entire body felt like it was on fire for a few short moments, and then he collapsed onto her.

Bella kissed his cheek and ran her fingers through his hair like she always did after they made love. That made his eyes burn for some reason. He loved her more than he could ever explain, and now she was his forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bella's dress:  
> https://www.jjshouse.com/Sheath-Column-Off-The-Shoulder-Sweep-Train-Lace-Wedding-Dress-002084711-g84711?utm_term=84711&utm_size=06&ggsub=pl&ggntk=s&ggcid=95198084196&ggkey=&ggpos=1o4&ggdev=c&ggdevm=&ggplm=&ggtgt=&gclid=Cj0KCQjw9afOBRDWARIsAJW4nvytdunz56djMJ_My3dOvO0rxLLL2fQZrOVq1QIFr1tTwevFnr6zyJUaArsxEALw_wcB
> 
> Bella's Necklace:  
> https://www.google.com/search?q=leaf+shaped+Emerald+necklaces&tbm=isch&tbs=rimg:CTUVQepxEHr9IjjCN6adbbCT28ZuwgGBCO9Njxo6txnmpP3teKAz5t565JTQq6D0a2GiqGwY1U1-pOrEJO9iAB0qyioSCcI3pp1tsJPbEXWdthpyqufaKhIJxm7CAYEI700RKn2IpjVRlvgqEgmPGjq3Geak_1RGGiSFW2SlyzyoSCe14oDPm3nrkEWEJbKgnyvhGKhIJlNCroPRrYaIRlkuFtHScCFgqEgmobBjVTX6k6hG6JNOa6CqJSCoSCcQk72IAHSrKEYMiIB6xfEMu&tbo=u&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjVm8bp4KPXAhXH6xQKHfVPDh8Q9C8IHw&biw=1163&bih=559&dpr=2.75#imgrc=IDVyJt-Dtg86nM:
> 
> Voldemorts's tux:  
> https://www.google.com/search?q=mens+green+tuxedo&tbm=isch&tbs=rimg:CW9_1dfKaUhnNIjiQI-F4RS8M06Pb4UlCxxwTuzAivz_1C3Jxyaeoiy4jZISnkBzxsSzkNsmB4IXB7OxirUVYUyA-eJyoSCZAj4XhFLwzTERfvjt9ax_1kqKhIJo9vhSULHHBMRc3hkNNoPtekqEgm7MCK_1P8LcnBHPsvOv2KB9wyoSCXJp6iLLiNkhEeO_1h5W7w0_1zKhIJKeQHPGxLOQ0RH4upCvZUtGQqEgmyYHghcHs7GBEtGJmkge0OayoSCatRVhTID54nEQ_1TuXaFitee&tbo=u&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjvuc-W_sPWAhXF7YMKHYe-BxgQ9C8IHw&biw=1163&bih=559&dpr=2.75#imgrc=b3918ppSGc2YEM:


End file.
